Students, Epidemiology

Laura Arboleda-Merino

From third grade dream to public health innovator

Laura Arboleda-Merino, MPH ’17

An internship at a local health department further crystallized Laura Arboleda-Merino's interests in public health. She was no longer just interested in treating individual patients, but in understanding and addressing systemic health challenges. Her academic journey led her to the University of Michigan School of Public Health. The transition wasn’t just about academic advancement but about finding a community that resonated with her interdisciplinary approach.

Kalee Rumfelt

Transforming challenges into epidemiological success

Kalee Rumfelt, MPH ’21, PhD ’25

Even from a young age, Kalee Rumfelt, MPH ’21, PhD ’25, has always been fascinated by human genetics. Her path to obtaining a doctoral degree in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, however, didn’t come without hurdles. Growing up in a low-income household near Detroit, Rumfelt faced significant financial challenges. Yet, she transformed those hardships into stepping stones toward academic success.

Allison Baumgartner

Epidemiology student is an emerging leader in Global Health

Allison Baumgartner

As a student in the Global Health Epidemiology program at Michigan Public Health, Allison Baumgartner is taking the lead in tackling some of the most pressing health challenges in low and middle-income countries. Over spring break, she traveled with 14 of her classmates to Grenada, a trip organized by the Public Health Action Support Team. Then, she spent eight weeks in Araihazar, Bangladesh, during her summer internship and research collaboration with the University of Chicago Research Bangladesh.

Christopher Floyd

Internship in Kenya enriches Global Health Epidemiology personal journey

Christopher Floyd, BS ’21, MPH ’24

An eight-month internship in Kenya proved pivotal for Christopher Floyd, BS ’21, MPH ’24, offering practical exposure to global health issues and cultural immersion, further enriching his academic perspectives in public health. Floyd will graduate in May with a Master of Public Health degree in Global Health Epidemiology from Michigan Public Health.

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.