Alumni Spotlight: Jesse Bell, MPH

Jesse Bell, MPH Alumni

Jesse Bell, MPH, is a UNE Online alumni of the MPH program and is currently working toward getting his Ph.D. We spoke to him about what compelled him to get his MPH, his experiences as an online student, and his advice for incoming online graduate students. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Public Health? For the past 15 years or so I worked in clinical mental health in the ER, seeing patients who are suicidal and homicidal and at general risk to themselves. Over the years I began to realize that the root cause of systemic issues was not being addressed, and I found the situation just getting worse. Patients were experiencing longer and longer wait times, they were spending less and less time in the psychiatric hospitals when they actually needed more, they weren’t getting access to the care that they needed – and there wasn’t anything… Read More >

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Ambassador Spotlight: Emily Bartlett, MPH Program

Emily Bartlett, MPH Student

UNE Online Ambassadors have been recognized by the College of Graduate and Professional Studies for being exemplary students and enthusiastic members of the UNE Online community. UNE Online Ambassadors serve as liaisons between our extended community and UNE Online, setting a precedent and standard for what it means to be a UNE Online student and community member.Can you tell me a little about your background, and why you chose to earn your MPH at UNE Online? I’m from Maine, so I’ve known about UNE for a long time now. I got my undergraduate degree at The University of King’s College in Nova Scotia, majoring in International Development with a minor in Health. After graduation I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew that I wanted to continue my education in the health field. During my undergrad I took a course in epidemiology, which ended up being my favorite class. I loved the material potential, so I looked… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Mansoor Shafqat, GPPH Program

Mansoor Shafqat, MPH Student

Mansoor Shafqat is a public health graduate student at UNE Online. Located in California, he has many changes going on in his life right now, including becoming a new parent, so he finds the flexibility of the online GPPH program to be essential to his success as a student. We spoke with him recently about his experience with the program. Can you tell me a bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Public Health? I received my Bachelor’s of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior Health from University of California, Davis, and I am currently more than halfway through the Master’s of Public Health program here at the University of New England. I am on track to graduate with my MPH from UNE in May 2019. I work at the UC Davis Student Health and Wellness Center as a Registered Dispensing Optician, providing eye care to the students and the staff of the university. I’ve… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Dr. Puneet Saini, MPH Program

Dr. Puneet Saini Student in the Master of Public Health MPH program at UNE Online

Dr. Puneet Saini is a native of Madison, WI, and a second-year MPH student at UNE Online. Having completed his M.D., he is looking to complement and add more value to his education, and also delve more deeply into the realms of public administration and policy-making in order to bring about change on a global level. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Public Health? I was born in America and come from a multi-cultural family. Growing up in this diverse mix of different ethnicities and cultures made me very aware of the world, and I learned early on to respect other people’s values, ideas, and ways of life. I come from a family of doctors, and I graduated medical school myself, but at some point, I realized that something was missing. I wanted to see what else was out there, so after doing some research, I felt that… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Carley Anderson, MPH – Public Health Program

Carley Anderson MPH Student

I came to the field of public health nearly by happenstance. I had just finished my undergraduate degree in music which, while fulfilling, didn’t equip me with tangible ways to make a meaningful, practical difference in my community. After graduation, I began working as an administrator in a medical clinic at a military installation, and a year later was assigned to work in the public health program despite no previous experience. I quickly saw public health was a field with unending opportunities – constant opportunities to learn, to benefit the community, and to make a lasting difference in the lives of others. I began networking with other public health staff in similar roles, and soon developed a strong relationship with a mentor that remains to this day. With her guidance, I embarked on a quest to learn as much as I could about U.S. Air Force public health program management, but I knew it was not enough. I needed more… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Thomas Troelstrup, MPH Program

Thomas Troelstrup, MPH

“Thanks to this terrific program, I was just offered my dream job on Tuesday as a Foodborne Disease Outbreak Epidemiologist for the Tennessee Department of Health in Nashville! I never thought I would land it by the age of 28!” MPH student Thomas Troelstrup reached out to us with some exciting news about his career this week, so we wanted to connect with him to talk about his new opportunity and his experience with UNE! Like so many MPH students, Thomas came to study Public Health in a somewhat roundabout way. After high school, he attended community college, playing college baseball and majoring in History. Shortly thereafter, he was offered the opportunity to transfer to UNC Greensboro, to play ball, but History was not available to him as a major due to an issue with transfer credits. He was offered the choice between Public Health, Economics, and Communications as the best potential fits for the amount and type of credits… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Amber Auger RDH, MPH – Public Health Program

Amber Auger, MPH Student

Doors have flown open for Amber Auger since earning her MPH online at UNE. Growing up in a single parent family, Amber was taught from a young age to to value education. “My mom wanted me to get a great education so I wouldn’t have to work three jobs every day, like she did.” says Amber. Amber took her mom’s advice to heart. It was at a very young age that Amber decided that dental hygiene would be the direction that she would take her career. She’d always been interested in dental health, and she later came to realize that choosing that career came with the added benefits of great pay and a flexible schedule. For her undergraduate education, Amber attended the University of New Haven and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. Her original plan was to use her dental hygiene degree to work her way through dental school, but upon completion of her BS, she decided… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Alison Braid, MPH – Public Health Program

Alison Braid, MPH student at UNE Online

MPH student Alison Braid is more than halfway through her degree, and loving it. After spending over 15 years in the professional translation and website localization industry, she wanted to make a career switch. Says Alison, “I decided that it was time for a change!” Alison is based in New York City, and most recently managed a localization team of engineers, linguists, and graphic designers, evaluating certain websites, translating and adapting them into several languages. Her day-to-day activities involved working across diverse industries and cultures, and making the websites they’re localizing appealing to each culture. With her Master’s Degree in Translation Studies, she started in the firm as a project manager, and worked her way up through the ranks of the company. Most recently, she managed an international production team of 80 members located in the US, India, Asia, Europe, and South America. Career change on the horizon Ten years ago Alison started thinking about a career change. She tried… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Mona Haimour, MPH – Public Health Program

Mona Haimour

Mona Haimour, RN, BScN, MSN, MPH(c) is an Assistant Professor in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada. And as an inductee to UNE’s Chapter of the Delta Omega Honor Society last year, she has also proven herself to be one of UNE’s brightest MPH students. Mona has done wonderfully as a UNE student and full-time professional. She will be finishing up her MPH this semester, and has just returned from a Practical Experience trip abroad in South Africa with the organization Children and Family Health International (CHFI). Originally from Jordan, Mona earned her Registered Nurse certification and actively practiced as an RN in the area of women’s health, maternal child health and pediatrics for many years there. It was in Jordan that she also earned her Master of Science in Nursing, and began to shift her work from nursing practice to nursing education. After working and volunteering across the Middle East, including… Read More >

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Spotlight: Katy Krings, MPH – Public Health Program

Katy Krings, MPH

Katy Krings is in her final semester of the MPH program and is an excellent example of how online education can be used as a powerful tool to reach qualified individuals who wouldn’t otherwise have access to higher education. Originally from Wisconsin, Katy now lives and works as a public health nurse in rural Southwest Alaska. In fact, the area in which Katy works is so remote that her patients are not accessible by road or boat for much of the year – she has to fly between these arctic villages to provide her patients with care and public health education. Now that’s going the extra mile. Some background on Katy and her career Katy discovered Public Health nursing after earning her undergraduate degree in nursing and completing a nursing rotation in Denver, Colorado. In researching career opportunities, she found that Alaska hires many new nursing graduates, giving them the opportunity to get real-life experience right away. So because of the plentiful opportunities… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Jessica Healy, MPH – Public Health Program

Jessica Healy, MPH

Recent UNE Online graduate, Jessica Healy, makes strides against underage drinking in Massachusetts Jessica Healy, Regional Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator for the Health Department in Hudson, MA, is spearheading a five-town substance abuse initiative to fight against underage drinking. Through a 3-year, $300,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, town coalitions have spent the last several months exploring how underage drinking affects their communities. Taking action against underage drinking Working along with the towns of Framingham, Ashland, Northborough, Southborough, and Hudson, the project involves addressing the issue of underage drinking, creating action plans and spreading awareness of this epidemic. “It takes a village to raise a child – and it takes a community to fight substance abuse,” Healy said. Healy originally attended school to become a nurse practitioner, and was working in a hectic cardiology office as a medical assistant when she became fascinated with the challenges and issues in health. A colleague suggested she pursue a… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Christina Melvin, MPH – Public Health Program

Vet Tech Program

One of the best parts of what I do here at UNE is talking to MPH students. Every grad student at UNE that I’ve ever spoken to has been passionate. Passionate about a job well done, passionate about a new program or initiative that they’ve been able to start directly because of what they’ve learned in class, passionate about their field. Grad students seem to have a laser focus on what they want, and they are determined to get there. At UNE, the two years it takes to get your MPH online is an intense time period and a sizable amount of sacrifice. But you finish with far more than a piece of paper. Your hard work results in a broader view of the world and a sharpened set of tools to help you achieve your goals. I met with Christina Melvin on the phone today, and I got to get a great insight as to how, exactly, she has incorporated her MPH into her… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Brittany Roy, MPH – Public Health Program

Brittany Roy, UNE MPH candidate, 2015

This August, a group of UNE students and advisors participated in an immersion experience in Ghana. Students worked alongside Ghana Health Service, community health educators and the community to provide healthcare services to the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. Participants of the program engaged in direct health services, interprofessional collaboration, community education and academic and cross-cultural exchange. Here, Brittany Roy gives us a glimpse of her involvement with the program in Ghana, and her most important takeaways from the experience. About Brittany Roy, MPH Class of 2015 I currently live in Biddeford, Maine with my fianceé. I graduated from Stonehill College in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree where I majored in Neuroscience and minored in Music. I previously worked at The Jackson Laboratory as a Research Assistant studying drug addiction and obesity and at the University of New England as a Laboratory Manager/Senior Research Associate studying the role of various transcription factors in chronic pain. Turning point After… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Alexjandro Daviano, MPH, NRP, LP – Public Health Program

Alexjandro Daviano, MPH, NRP, LP

After going through UNE’s flexible online MPH program, Alexjandro Daviano received his MPH from the University of New England this past December. Here is a little of what Alexjandro had to say about his UNE Online Public Health Programs experience: “My MPH degree at UNE really changed my mind on the career path I’ve chosen, and truly opened my eyes to being able to really use public health to affect change in multiple people.” “I truly see you all (UNE Student Support staff members), and UNE as an academic institution, at the forefront of change in public health. And I am so glad I was able to be a part of it. I really hope we can keep in touch and continue to be resources for each other’s growth in public health!” Continuing education For the next phase of his education, Alexjandro is very excited to report that he has officially been admitted to the Texas A&M University Health Science… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Jordan Ehni, MPH – Public Health Program

Jordan Ehni, MPH Graduate of University of New England

I found the MPH program at UNE to be well designed for working professionals. I was able to keep my full-time position as a housing inspector while completing the program. I also greatly enjoyed my practical experience at the Maine CDC, which provided me with a new public health skill set that I will utilize in the future. Some Background I grew up in eastern Ohio and graduated with my bachelor’s degree in sociology from Ohio State in 2009. Learning about the social determinants of health in my undergraduate courses, along with having a strong interest in statistics and biological sciences, I decided to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. In 2010, after being accepted at UNE, I moved to Portland, Maine in order to be closer to the great facilities that the University has to offer, and for a love of the city of Portland. I have since been employed full-time as a housing inspector at a… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Francesca McCaffrey, DO, MPH – Public Health

Francesca McCaffrey, DO, MPH

I grew up in the Adirondacks of New York, in a small town with a big community. I did my undergraduate training at Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY where I finally realized my passion for health and medicine. I moved to Maine in 2010 and began my medical training that fall. In my second year of medical school, I decided that the UNE MPH program was a perfect springboard into my clinical education. What do you like about UNE and your major? The UNE MPH program helped me to develop a better understanding of the world I will be practicing in as a doctor. My training as a DO has taught me that there is more to medicine than just understanding the disease, you have to recognize the problem in the setting of the whole person. My MPH helps me to look at medicine as one part of the health care puzzle and not neglect the other pieces. Moving Forward… Read More >

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Student Spotlight: Kristen Provencher, MPH – Public Health Program

Kristen Provencher, MPH

The Public Health major at UNE presented me with a life changing opportunity during the summer of 2012. I traveled to Ghana, West Africa with about 20 people from the UNE community and beyond. We set up a health clinic and served over 100 people in and around the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. The trip inspired a strong interest in global health and health inequities across the globe. It was the end of my freshman year at the University of Maine at Farmington when I realized that health was my passion. After graduating in 2006 with a BS in Community Health Education, I realized that I wanted to be in a classroom sharing my passion with young people. I started working at the high school I graduated from, Mountain Valley, in 2007. Health is such a broad topic and there is so much to learn; that’s why I decided to apply for the MPH program at UNE. As… Read More >

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