Michigan

wedding ceremony

Essential "I Do's": Epidemiology Alums Marry in Hospital During Pandemic

Jen Andonian, MPH ‘15 and Matt Shearer, MPH ‘14

Two epidemiology alums found love here on campus while earning their master’s degrees. When their wedding plans are interrupted by a global pandemic, their community of health colleagues help them get married in a unique ceremony fit for these hardworking frontline heroes.

Chris Rudski

A More Vibrant World: From the Whole Patient to the Whole Population, the Vital Connections between Public Health and Nursing to Address the Big Picture

Chris Rudski

Nurses are taught to see the big pictures of their patient’s lives—from homelife to water and air quality to employment. Wherever health care and communities intersect, public health nurses are there caring for patients and populations. This sense of expanded community gives online MPH student and full-time oncology nurse Chris Rudski hope that we will soon be living in a richer, more vibrant world.

Caroline Mandel and her students

Alum and Dietitian Team Aiding Wolverines While Separated from Athletic Teams

Caroline Mandel, MS ’96

Public health alum Caroline Mandel is director of performance nutrition for the University of Michigan athletic department. Since March 12, when all collegiate competition and practice ceased, she and her staff face a new challenge—keeping student-athletes healthy and well at home during a pandemic.

Patrick Shannon

In the Business of Keeping People Alive: Notes from a Public Health Judge

Hon. Patrick Shannon, MPH ’92

Judge Patrick Shannon looks forward to Mondays, when he sees firsthand the spectrum of problems that arise from the current national opioid epidemic. The stories he hears include abuse, neglect, and mental health. Instead of handing out jail sentences, Shannon has helped implement “the public health approach” in offering alternatives to jail time—prevention, intervention, and treatment.

Rachel Jantz

Never Lose Sight of the People behind the Data

Rachel Jantz, MPH ’14

Rachel Jantz has wanted to care for people in her community since she was a child. She discovered in college that she loves data. Public health, specifically epidemiology, brought those loves together for her. As an opioids epidemiologist in Michigan, she works to connect human experiences and data to help people stay healthy.