We're still accepting applications for fall 2025!
Apply Today
Irving Suarez is committed to ensuring that public health research translates into meaningful action. As a student earning a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, he is motivated by the desire to apply research findings to real-world problems, ensuring “they don’t just gather dust on shelves.”
Working with the Coast Guard’s Incident Management Assist Team, Katie Romas tackled real-world challenges, ranging from hurricane response to oil spills. These situations required her to coordinate efforts with other agencies, writing safety plans and minimizing environmental impact. She often found herself impressed by the work of industrial hygienists, the specialists who ensure the safety of responders and subsequently the environment during emergencies.
Growing up Mennonite in Iowa City, Iowa, deeply influenced Gretta Rempel Fisher’s values and aspirations, emphasizing community, mutual aid and collective well-being. These beliefs, which coincide with public health principles, permeated her education and career choices. Pursuing a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior & Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Rempel Fisher’s roots continue to guide her focus on community-driven research and health equity.
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.
Barbara Israel’s career at the University of Michigan School of Public Health has been defined by her unwavering commitment to community-based participatory research (CBPR), health equity and her students. Israel, professor emerita of Health Behavior & Health Equity, has spent the majority of her career fostering and supporting community-academic partnerships aimed at understanding and addressing social determinants of health inequities.
Sari Reisner, associate professor of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, has always been interested in equity and social justice. Reisner is specialized in LGBTQIA+ population health, with deep expertise in transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse population health.