Blog

Elisabeth Repp

Alumna focuses on environmental side of public health

Elisabeth Repp, BA ’23

To an average kid growing up in Michigan, water might seem abundant. They don’t call it the Great Lakes State for nothing. Only about 3 percent of the Earth’s water is fresh, however, and only about 1 percent can be used as drinking water. If you’re an inquisitive 12-year-old growing up 70 miles south of Flint during one of the country’s worst water crises on record—like Elisabeth Repp, BA ’23 was at the time—it would be natural to question what a lot of people take for granted.

Shichi Dhar

Senior advocates for holistic, public health-centric approach to healthcare

Shichi Dhar

Shichi Dhar is a pre-medical student who one day wants to be involved in delivering a more holistic approach to healthcare. She is a senior in the Bachelor of Science program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. To Dhar, “traditional medicine can only do so much,” and that’s why public health is so paramount in her eyes.

Meghna Singh

Alumna embraces humanistic approach to public health

Meghna Singh, BA ’23

Nearly 10 years ago, Meghna Singh, BA ’23, lost a family friend to suicide. That loss was a catalyst to what has become her life’s work. Singh, who earned a Bachelor of Arts Community and Global Public Health from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, didn’t know it at the time, but the steps she started taking in eighth grade were part of mental health advocacy, a component of public health.

Helena Helme

Exploring public health through a cross-cultural lens

Helena Helme

Traveling through rural areas of other countries in her youth gave Helena Helme an introduction to public health. Helme is a senior, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She is expected to graduate in May 2024.

Hassan Beydoun

Global health advocate: A journey from Michigan to Thailand

Hassan Beydoun, BS ’22

Hassan Beydoun, BS ’22, has always aspired to explore the field of public health on a global scale and one day bring the knowledge and insights he gains back to the United States. Beydoun, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Sciences, is living out his dream in Bangkok, where he holds the position of foreign expert at Mahidol University’s Faculty of Public Health.

shayla-zimmerman

Social work leader integrates public health knowledge in the pursuit of social change

Shayla Zimmerman, MPH ‘23

Even with a wealth of experience, Shayla Zimmerman, a dedicated community organizer and social worker, encountered challenges growing her career without a graduate degree. She turned to Michigan Public Health to expand her skillset and earned her MPH online while she continued the work she’s passionate about. Since graduating, she’s been able to pair her dedication to social justice with new public health knowledge to take her career in social work to new heights.