Jodi McCloskey
Jodi McCloskey
MPH '17, Epidemiology
I’m passionate about community. I think if you’re not actively investing in the place you’re in and trying to improve it, it will crumble. Public health is one of the only fields where you’re looking at the community holistically, where you’re really looking at the fabric of a community.
I worked in local government—in health policy and for a local health department in Arizona—for five years before coming here. From my experience working in government, I think public health does it best. It allows you to really look at how we improve the quality of life for a community. What are their incomes, their job opportunities? Are they safe?
I studied biochemistry and economics in undergrad. I like the way natural systems work, but I always wanted to do something more applicable to people. I’m interested in the forces that drive society and economics. From those two tracks, I thought health was the direction I wanted to go. I like the human and community aspects of public health.
I was really impressed by the amount of effort the School of Public Health faculty put into getting to know me as an admitted student. This was the only place I visited where faculty were seated at tables with us as admitted students, and they gave us great advice.
I love how they tailor the curriculum here to the students’ interests. They even hired a person whose job is to improve curriculum. They listen to us, take our feedback seriously and make changes every semester.
The faculty don’t lead with ego. They are just nice, funny people. They are very approachable, and you definitely get that peer-to-peer interaction.
I believe in building community. I’m the chair of the Epidemiology Student Organization, which aims to build connections between students and faculty. I also play ultimate Frisbee. For me, it’s all about building toward a goal with 25 women.
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