Masters in Public Health Student Profiles

Olutola Peter Akande

Degrees: B.S. Biological Sciences, University of California Davis (2020)

Professional Interests:  Preventative health especially in underserved populations, Health disparities, Health systems design, Health economics, Health policy, Epidemiology, Community health services, and Global Health

Graduate Advisor: Jeffrey Hoch, Ph.D.

Entry Year: 2019

Background/Interests: Olutola was born in Nigeria and has lived his teenage and adult life in Canada and the United States, respectively. His interest in public health is inspired by his background, having lived in three different countries with different cultures and health systems, and realizing that similar disparities subject the masses in these nations to poor health and poverty. However, his interest to become a leader in the public health community was kindled by volunteering at a winter homeless shelter in Davis (IRWS) as well as by learning about public health in the classroom. He enjoys playing basketball, tutoring, and keeping busy.

Morgan Bostrom

Degrees: B.S. Nursing, Brigham Young University-Idaho, 2013

Professional Interests: Mental Health, Maternal & Child Health, Health Education, Preventative Care

Graduate Advisor: Amparo Villablanca

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: A Sacramento native, Morgan was raised by a single mother with her 5 siblings. It was her mother's declining health that led her to her passion of health and degree in nursing. She has worked in various settings in and out of hospitals as a Registered Nurse for 7 years. Morgan has enjoyed learning about health in many aspects but now wants to turn her focus to preventative healthcare. She has a beautiful 2-year-old daughter and loves being a mom. In her free time, she likes crafting, being outside, spending time with her friends and family, and cuddling with her kittens. Her goal is to educate and empower women, the mentally ill, and children to be advocates for their own health and wellness. She is passionate about mental health and healthcare disparities for women and children, postpartum and women's health and health education.

Zoe Che

Degrees: B.A. Psychology, UC Davis (2020)

Professional Interests: Global Health, Health Disparities in Underserved Populations, Emergency & Disaster Preparedness, Preventative Medicine

Graduate Advisor: Carolyn Dewa, M.P.H., Ph.D.

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: Zoe grew up in the culturally vibrant city of Chicago. Though she had formative experiences in clinical settings and tobacco usage research, her passion for public health truly flourished in her opportunity at the UC Davis Health Promotion and Education department. There, she further understood the needs of large diverse populations and gained firsthand experience in a public health office. She hopes to learn more about community health strategies and how to be a better advocate for people with disabilities and people of color. You can often find her talking about food and looking longingly at the sky.

Rachel Colorafi

Degrees: B.S. Nutrition Sciences with a concentration in Public Health, University of California, Davis (2016)

Professional Interests: Health communication and social marketing practices, nutrition and fitness, and health education and promotion

Graduate Advisor: Jingwen Zhang

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: Rachel’s passion for public health truly solidified during her service term with AmeriCorps where she taught nutrition education and cooking classes to underrepresented Sacramento youth in an afterschool setting. Rachel continued her passion for health education and promotion by becoming a Community Education Specialist for the UC Davis Center for Nutrition in Schools, which is a subcontractor to CalFresh Healthy Living, UC. With her MPH degree, Rachel hopes to learn more about health education strategies, programs, and resources that can further help to improve health and assist individuals in achieving their full potential socially and physically. 

James Juan Donate

Degree: B.A Sociology, Cal Poly Pomona (2019)

Professional Interests: Epidemiology, Social Determinants of Health, Health Disparities, Chronic Diseases, Healthcare Administration

Graduate Advisor: Gerhard Bauer

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: James Donate is a first generation Mexican- American college student who desires to better the lives of underprivileged communities. His desire to improve the lives of those communities has influenced his passion for public health. James’s interest in pursuing an M.P.H. is also stemmed from his experience with health disparities in a clinical setting within low socio-economic areas. In his free time, James enjoys practicing jiu-jitsu, hiking, watching movies, and socializing.

Sean Ikenna Ezenwugo

Degree: B.S. Biology, University of California, Los Angeles (2019)

Professional Interests: Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Infectious Diseases, Health Inequities

Graduate Advisor: Catherine Brinkley

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: Sean's interest in public health started in his undergraduate career, where he volunteered at a homeless shelter, providing educational materials and resources to promote a tobacco-free lifestyle. After graduating, Sean spent his gap year working with the University of California Healthy Campus Network, where he discussed healthful program implementation with stakeholders at UC campuses throughout California. With his MPH degree, Sean plans to give back to his community in the Central Valley through addressing health disparities related to the Valley Fever through research and health promotion. Additionally, Sean enjoys playing the piano, jogging, and taking naps.

Navpreet Kaur Gill

Degrees:  B.S. Biological Sciences, Global Disease Biology Minor, UC Davis (2020)

Professional Interests: Health Disparities in Underserved Communities, Mental Health, Preventative Medicine, Primary Care, Global Disease

Graduate Advisor: Eleanor Bimla Schwartz

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: 

Navpreet's interest in public health developed through her volunteer work with underserved communities during her undergrad at UC Davis, locally through the Bhagat Puran Singh Health Initiative (BPSHI) and during trips abroad with Global Medical Training. She became very interested in how culturally sensitive health education can be used for disease prevention in underserved populations. She is pursuing an MPH to better understand the complex medical and social factors that contribute to an individual’s health and to integrate this understanding into her future career as a primary care physician with a focus on preventative medicine.

Andrea Guggenbickler

Degrees:  B.S. Global Disease Biology, UC Davis (2018)

Professional Interests: Women’s Health, Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health, Infectious Diseases

Graduate Advisor: Eleanor Bimla Schwartz

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: Growing up in an extremely small town, Andrea saw many barriers to healthcare throughout her life. In her time at UC Davis, she was able to take several Public Health courses, which fostered her passion for the study and mitigation of Health Disparities. She is passionate about Women’s health and wants to use her MPH to advocate for underserved populations. Andrea’s background has given her a desire to study and better understand infectious diseases and how they contribute to community and global health. In her spare time, Andrea loves to travel and spend time with her fiancé and 3 cats.

Sydney Holmes

Degrees:  BS in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior; UC Davis 2020

Professional Interests: Preventative Health, Health Education, Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health, Behavior Change, Health Coaching, Mental Health, Nutrition and Fitness

Graduate Advisor: M.J. Heinig

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: In college, Sydney majored in Neurobiology and Physiology and competed in Track and Field at UC Davis. She created UCD Athletics’ first ever Student-Athlete run mental health group or “club.” Organizing events and understanding the unique needs of athletes became a large part of her life and passion. She wants to pursue a career that addresses social determinants of health and their connection to holistic health, including mental wellbeing. She hopes to develop and implement programs that can be scaled to an individual’s needs to address the whole person and their individual barriers to wellness.

Asmaa Mohamed Kamel

Rebecca Phan

Degrees: B.S. Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, 2018

Professional Interests: Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases, Health Disparities, Addiction Medicine

Graduate Advisor: Julie Dang

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: Rebecca decided to pursue a career in public health after volunteering with various nonprofit organizations aimed at addressing health disparities and healthcare access throughout college. Previously, Rebecca worked at a nonprofit specializing in substance use disorder treatment. Educating the community about harm reduction methods emphasized the need for equitable access to resources and impact of empowering people to make informed, sustainable health decisions. Upon completion of her MPH, Rebecca hopes to improve evidence-based practices and influence health policy changes to address health disparities in underserved communities. In her free time, she enjoys travelling (when permitted), working out, crafting, and eating.

Heather Reed

Degrees: B.S. Psychology with Minor in Human Physiology, UC Davis, 2020

Professional Interests: Preventative Medicine, Health Education, Mental Health, Health Disparities in Minority Populations, Reproductive Health

Graduate Advisor: Lorena Garcia, MPH, DrPH

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: 

Through her undergraduate studies, Heather became interested in Public Health. Her interests in psychology and fitness led her towards studying Preventative Health. Heather hopes to use her knowledge from the Masters in Public Health program to be a more holistic Physician Assistant that is capable to compassionately serve people of various backgrounds. In the future, Heather would like to serve those in need through a non-profit organization.

Amrinder Singh Sandhu

Degrees:B.S. Biological Sciences, UC Davis (2019)

Professional Interests: Global Health, Health Education, Health Disparities, Minority Health

Graduate Advisor: Faith Boucher

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: Amrinder grew up in a rural village in Punjab, India and later worked with UC Davis BPSHI, a student run clinic focused on immigrant Punjabi populations. Living at these opposite spectrums of life and experiences helped him notice the healthcare disparities in services and healthcare education among lower socioeconomic communities. Amrinder hopes to use his MPH to advocate for policies to help rectify those issues. In his free time, Amrinder likes to play soccer, workout, and explore new food places with friends.

Priyanka Saxena

Degrees: B.S. Neurobiology with a minor in Education, UC Irvine, 2011. D.O. Western University of Health Science, 2017

Professional Interests: Preventive healthcare in pediatrics, social determinants of health, health care policy, access to healthcare for immigrants/refugees/and the underserved

Graduate Advisor: Melanie Dove

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests:  Priyanka’s interest in working with the underserved population first began with her volunteer work with medical clinics during college and continued in medical school. During her pediatric residency, Priyanka further saw the direct impacts of disparities and barriers in the health care system on the well-being of her patients. Priyanka is pursuing her MPH in order to learn the tools and skills to tackle some of these broader public health issues. She also plans to increase her involvement with health policy and advocacy. In her free time, Priyanka enjoys hiking, spending time with family and friends, and trying out new/local restaurants!

Michaela Nicole Simoncini

Degrees: MD, Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2017 BS, Exercise Biology, UC Davis, 2010

Professional Interests: Surgery, Global health, Racial disparities, and Socioeconomic limitations to care

Graduate Advisor: James Marcin

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests:  Michaela Simoncini is a General Surgery resident at UC Davis Medical Center who decided to pursue a Masters in Public Health during her professional development year. Apart from her interests in medicine, she loves traveling (pre-COVID), being outdoors -- whether it be hiking or wine tasting, watching movies, reading fantasy books, and hanging out with her little baby and dog.

Brooke Elise Starn

Degrees: B.A. in Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 2020

Professional Interests: Adolescent Health, Preventative Medicine, Public Health Policy

Graduate Advisor: Melanie Dove

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests:  A San Francisco Bay Area native, Brooke completed her undergraduate degree in Human Evolutionary Biology, which emphasized the value of preventative medicine. This lens, combined with her minor in Global Health and Health Policy, fostered her interest in public health. After interning with Child Family Health International and volunteering with the Harvard Chapter of Best Buddies, she was intent on engaging in research, policy, and programs geared towards improving preventative medicine within the adolescent population. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, and music.

Amal Syed

Degrees: B.S. Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis (2020)

Professional Interests: Epidemiology, Disease Biology, Health Disparities, Refugee Health, Global Health

Graduate Advisor: Faith Boucher

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests:  Amal was born and raised in Sacramento. She saw the difficulties her community members, especially refugees, faced due to their lack of health insurance when she interned for the Department of Public Health, helping refugee families access health insurance and basic necessities. Her desire to pursue a career in Public Health grew from volunteering at a free clinic that provides healthcare to the uninsured. Her interest in epidemiology grew as she took disease biology classes at UC Davis. Amal is excited to learn more about social factors that influence disease occurrences in underserved communities and how to tackle health disparities.

Sheila Mae Tolentino

Degrees: B.S. Health Care Administration, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2019

Professional Interests: Population Health Research, Chronic Disease Prevention, Nutrition & Fitness, Program Planning & Evaluation, Health Policy

Graduate Advisor: Kathryn Conlon

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests:  Raised in Wahiawa, Hawaii, Shiela grew up interacting with diverse populations and noticed the social and health disparities within her family and community. After working as a research assistant for projects examining diabetes management, children’s health, and genetics, she noticed the underrepresentation of minority ethnic groups in health research. As an MPH student, she hopes to engage in research representative of socioeconomic diversity and be involved with efforts to achieve healthy equity. She enjoys community outreach and seeks to improve health literacy and resources for disadvantaged populations. In her free time, Shiela enjoys outdoor adventures and exploring cultures through cuisines.

Andrew Tu

Degrees: B.S. Biochemistry/Cell Biology, University of California, San Diego (2015)

Professional Interests: Chronic diseases and care, Healthcare access in underserved communities, Preventative care, Biostatistics

Graduate Advisor: Mark Carroll

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests:  Andrew's experience as an undergraduate student and as a working professional in primary care have shaped his desire to become a leader in public health with an emphasis on chronic diseases and care. While operating a chronic care management program, he realized the importance of medical access and education for the local communities. After completing the MPH program at UC Davis, Andrew plans to better devise targeted public health programs that will include both programs of research and public education. With his free time, Andrew enjoys activities such as hiking, camping and cooking.

Monica Janet Velazquez

Degrees: B.S. Chicanx Studies, minor in Political Science, University of California, Davis, 2020

Professional Interests: Health Education, Access to Healthcare in Underserved Communities, Intergenerational Latinx Healing Practices, Medical Anthropology, One Health Triad (Human, Animal, Environment), Social Determinants of Health.

Graduate Advisor: P. Marius Koga

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: Determined to understand healthcare needs of her rural unincorporated town, in Fresno County, Monica initiated an independent study looking at medical services, location and cost to farm working communities. At UC Davis she was exposed to a variety of classes in raging fields from anthropology to immunology and found they held similar viewpoints on how to create a healthier environment. Monica hopes to build intersectionality between STEM sciences and social sciences for a more holistic viewpoint of healthcare’s opportunities. Currently, her research revolves around generational Latinx healing, plants and ceremonies, used in underserved low-income communities.

Schantell Nicole Williams

Degrees: BA in Gender and Women’s Studies with a Minor in Disability Studies from UC Berkeley Associates in American Sign Language from Berkeley City College (2020)

Professional Interests: Goal is to become an OBGYN with a background in Reproductive and Sexual Health, Maternal and Child Health, Preventative Medicine, Health Disparities, and Minority Health

Graduate Advisor: Rosemary Cress

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: Schantell was raised in Stockton ca where she continues to volunteer and help provide resources for her community. Her interest in Public Health arised from noticing the inequality within her hometown. While in College she found excitement in studying minority populations. She obtained a job at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, while working there she found the passion to advocate for equality and break down constructed ideologies created by the mainstream population. Her focus in Women’s Health springs from her goal to become an obstetrician gynecologist. Her research emphasizes the importance of reproductive health for minorities.

Xjaedah Williams    

Degrees: B.S Human Development, University of California, Davis (2020)

Professional Interests: Xjaedah is interested in becoming an Otolayrgn Surgeon who focuses on cancer patients and owning a clinic where I specialize in holistic medicine.

Graduate Advisor: Deborah Bennett

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: Xjaedah is from Apple Valley, California and is the youngest in a family of six. She has been an athlete since the third grade which helped her earn a full ride scholarship to attend the University of California, Davis as well as occupy a position on the Division 1 track and field team. Being an athlete motivated her to become a better person and allowed her to explore the diversity of her interests and hobbies. Her interests include learning more about the etiology of diseases and gaining experience in a healthcare setting.

Elisse Nicole Wright    

Degrees: Bachelor of Science, Global Disease Biology, UC Davis, 2019

Professional Interests: Elisse is interested in drug policy reform, harm reduction, the opioid crisis, psilocybin decriminalization campaigns, neuroscience, and clinical research on psychedelics.

Graduate Advisor: Deborah Bennett

Entry Year: 2020

Background/Interests: Elisse is from Texas and initially attended university there, but withdrew from school to move to California where she learned a trade and performed old house restoration work, and later worked on a medical Cannabis farm. During this time, Elisse took an interest in drug policy, noting the lack of safety standards and consistency in this industry. She decided to go back to school to get a degree related to the health professions, and took an interest in Public Health while at UC Davis. In her free time, Elisse enjoys painting, hiking, and spending time with her cats.