Undergraduate Program Mentors

I serve as Senior Director of Advocacy, Access, and Impact at the American Epilepsy Society, where I lead initiatives focused on health policy, patient engagement, and health equity. I am also pursuing my DrPH at the Medical College of Wisconsin. A first-generation college student from rural Michigan, I discovered public health at Michigan through my passion for health equity and have built a career advancing systems-level change through education, advocacy, and policy. I had (and still have!) exceptional mentors who helped me discover strengths I didn’t yet see in myself; I hope to provide that same encouragement and support while helping students navigate their own unique paths in public health. 

I’m an incoming Associate at LEK, a strategy consulting firm. My previous professional experiences include corporate strategy at DaVita Kidney Care, consulting / advisory at Optum / UnitedHealth Group, and strategy and operations at a behavioral health start-up. Some things I can help potential mentees out with include: resumes, networking strategy, internship/job search, interviewing (case and behavioral), grad school questions, and general career direction advice. 

HMP grad from 2024, completed an Administrative Fellowship with the Michigan Medicine Frankel Cardiovascular Center from 2024-2026. Recently transitioned to a new role as Patient Experience Advisor with the Regional Network covering Lansing/Grand Rapids. Knowledge in project-based work areas (quality, patient experience, strategy, program management, etc) and happy to help advise someone navigating their early career interests in healthcare administration.

Dr. Anna Gottschlich is an assistant professor at Wayne State University and Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Michigan with a strong interest in improving outcomes across the cancer continuum, particularly for gynecologic cancers. Her current work focuses on how interactions between social and biological factors relate to inequities in cancer incidence and outcome. She received an MPH and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan, where she studied the acceptability and feasibility of self-collected HPV-based cervical cancer screening in diverse underserved populations in Latin America and Southeast Asia. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia where she led investigations on long-term cervical outcomes after HPV-testing compared to cytology for cervix screening among women in Greater Vancouver. During this time, she continued her global work where she looked at follow-up rates after abnormal screening from a self-collection screening intervention in rural Uganda. She now holds an NCI-funded K01 to investigate socio-genomic factors related to survival among diverse women with endometrial cancer and an NCI-funded R03 to investigate barriers and facilitators to attending recommended follow-up after an abnormal cervical cancer screen, along with multiple internal awards.

I am a first year dental student at the New York University College of Dentistry where I often use the public health frameworks I learned while at Michigan. I graduated from UMSPH in 2025, subsequently working as a dental assistant during my gap year. In my free time I enjoy hiking, camping and spending time with friends and family.

Bettina Senga is a content producer with a passion for mission-driven creative content. She brings a swiss-army-knife approach to storytelling, using a wide variety of tools and mediums to support her clients around the world. She has produced creative content for clients across a wide range of industries including energy, insurance, global payments, film, public health, early childhood education, and health research. She is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Cindi Thronson is a staff member at the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and is the project manager for the Michigan School Safety Initiative, a part of the National Center for School Safety. She has experience in health education programming, program evaluation, hospital-based clinical research, and community-based injury prevention research.

HMA '84. Held a variety of healthcare leadership positions, including serving as CEO of several healthcare organizations. Later transitioned to consulting, advising hospitals and health systems while serving in interim leadership roles. Now retired from full-time healthcare leadership, Deb remains actively involved in her community through nonprofit governance and advocacy, including serving as Campaign Finance Chair for a county millage initiative to expand health insurance access for at-risk populations. She enjoys spending time with family, pursuing a variety of hobbies, and sharing her decades of experience by mentoring students exploring careers in public health and healthcare leadership.

Dylan Kilby is an epidemiologist and emergency management professional based out of Colorado whose career exists at the intersection of environmental science, exposure science, and crisis informatics. He has acted as a subject matter expert for natural hazards and healthcare preparedness planning throughout the American West, including supporting the State of California's COVID-19 Response from March 2020 through July 2023. Most of his current work focuses on hazard mitigation planning for water, wastewater, and gas utilities - where agencies' risks to natural and manmade hazards (e.g., wildfire, flood, HAZMAT release) are assessed and projects developed to reduce those risks.

Dylan is also a prominent member of the Colorado and California alpinism and endurance athlete communities, serving on the Management Committee of the Sierra Club's Sierra Peaks Section and researching scrambling routes in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. So far, he has only broken six bones.

Ejike is a Business Analyst in the Michigan Medicine Office of Development, where he leverages SQL, Epic, DART, Tableau, Power BI, and Business Objects to query and analyze donor and patient data from relational databases. He designs high-impact data reports and visualizations for diverse stakeholders, translating complex financial and operational data into actionable insights. His expertise encompasses financial analysis, trend forecasting, and data-driven decision support, enabling executive leadership to optimize donor engagement and advance philanthropic initiatives across the hospital system.

Dr. Kantor’s research broadly centers on the role of drugs and supplements in cancer risk and survival. In terms of cancer risk, Dr Kantor has sought to understand both the chemopreventive potential of drugs and supplements, as well as the potential unexpected adverse effects of their use. Dr Kantor’s interest in drugs extends beyond cancer risk, and into cancer care, with a particular interest in how heterogeneity in chemotherapy delivery may impact patient outcomes, as studied in the Optimal Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Dosing (OBCD) Study, a large, multi-site study focused on chemotherapy dosing and breast cancer outcomes. Dr Kantor seeks to address her research interests through use of data from a variety of sources, including epidemiologic cohorts, nationally representative surveys, and integrated healthcare delivery systems. Before moving to Memorial Sloan Kettering, she completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at the Harvard School of Public Health, a PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Washington, and an MPH at the University of Michigan. 

I am a Quality and Outreach Coordinator at the Obstetrics Initiative (OBI), a Care Quality Collaborative here in Michigan Medicine. I work with MI birthing hospitals across the state to support the implementation of quality improvement projects including C-Section rates and Induction duration. My entire career has been in Maternal Health, starting out as a labor and delivery/postpartum/NICU nurse in Chicago, getting my MPH/MSN at UM, and then working at the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative before joining OBI. I love getting to combine my clinical expertise and public health knowledge to support providers and nurses providing maternity care in MI!

Background in healthcare epidemiology with work experience as an infection control epidemiologist, with a focus on high consequence infectious diseases, with Johns Hopkins Hospital. Transitioned into healthcare emergency preparedness in 2019 at Mass General Brigham, holding progressive leadership positions over the last 7 years.

I'm a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics at the Indiana University School of Public Health–Bloomington. After graduating with an MPH in Human Nutrition/Dietetics, I worked as a dietitian with a focus on long-term care and community nutrition education. I went back to school for a PhD in Health Behavior and a minor in Epidemiology. My current role is a blend of teaching and service with some research components. My areas of expertise include public health, health behavior, and nutrition education.

Lifelong academic. Lots of teaching and research including courses on health economics, cost-effeciveness, the healthcare system, and leadership and values. Advocate for DEIB< pariculary wtih respect to the LGBTQIA+ population. Some consulting experience. Very interested in translating research into real action and change.

Kaitlin Schwarz, MPH, is an Epidemiologist with Oakland County Health and Human Services, with a primary focus on substance use and overdose. In this role, she is responsible for epidemiological surveillance of fatal and non-fatal overdoses to assess trends in morbidity and mortality across the county. Kaitlin also supports key public health initiatives, including the Overdose Fatality Review and the Opioid Settlement process, aiming to reduce overdose-related harms through data-driven strategies. Kaitlin holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, along with certificates in Social Epidemiology and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, from the University of Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and a certificate in Global Health from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Prior to her current role, Kaitlin served as an Epidemiologist at the Washtenaw County Health Department.

I am a Manager in the Division of Laboratory Genetics and Genomics at Mayo Clinic, where I lead operational and strategic initiatives that support patient care, laboratory excellence, and employee development. With a background in public health and healthcare operations, I have experience in process improvement, project management, mentoring, and leadership within complex healthcare environments. I enjoy helping others explore career pathways, develop leadership skills, and achieve their professional goals, and I value building meaningful mentoring relationships that support growth and lifelong learning.

After graduating from the HBHE MPH program in 2022, I moved to Boston and worked at Boston Medical Center Health System for four years. My roles there revolved around program management and stakeholder relations. I recently accepted a new job at DotHouse Health, one of the community health centers I have been working with at BMCHS the last four years, which I will start at the end of August. I am excited to get back into the community health setting and be more involved in day-to-day clinic operations. 

Molly is an Assistant Director of Well-Being Curriculum at Colorado School of Mines. Her expertise is in developing health behavior/health education curriculum for college students. She also has expertise in sexual health education and is currently pursuing a sexuality education certificate with University of Michigan, School of Social Work. She has been working in higher education for 8 years and loves to provide guidance to public health students. Her mentorship style is focused on providing transparency of working in the public health field. 

I am a Regional Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Advisor at Neogen. I bring 5+ years of experience across biotechnology, aerospace, and corrugated manufacturing, focused on improving safety, compliance, and operational performance.

My expertise includes regulatory compliance, EHS program development, and continuous improvement. I am passionate about EHS and committed to mentoring students and early-career professionals, helping them build confidence, navigate challenges, and grow as leaders.

I earned my MPH in Industrial Hygiene from the University of Michigan (2025) and my B.S. in Occupational Safety & Health Management from Grand Valley State University (2021). Additionally, I serve as a Board Member for the Michigan Industrial Hygiene Society and as Secretary-Elect for the AIHA Career & Employment Services Committee, supporting initiatives that advance the industrial hygiene profession and career development.

I joined the Utah Department of Health in 2013 as an epidemiologist focusing on public health assessment of environmental exposures. Like most epi's, during the COVID pandemic I was seconded to the surveillance team for the response. In that period I became involved with the nascent wastewater surveillance program, which I began managing in 2021. 

I am interested in informatics, managed care, medicare , medical, demography.

I currently do Workforce Development for research staff and early career faculty at University of Michigan. I previously was a Research Associate for 9 years. I'm now interested in Well-Being and am serving my 3rd term on the Voices of the Staff Strive for Well-Being Team. I also did my internship and early career work in public health genomics. I love to mentor students and look forward to a new year with one of you!

I graduated from the U of M Health Behavior and Health Education (now Health Behavior and Health Equity) Masters program in 2020 and went on to pursue my doctorate in Epidemiology in the UCSD/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program. My research primarily focuses on mental health and positive psychological resources, with a focus on older adults and healthy aging. I graduated from my PhD program in June and begin a post doc at UCSD with the Center for Empathy and Technology in the Fall. Looking forward to mentoring U of M students again this year!

I have been working in healthcare consulting for the past two years and currently serve as an Associate Consultant at HealthScape Advisors, where I work with health plans to improve healthcare delivery and drive better outcomes. In my role, I have supported a variety of projects, including platform migration initiatives and healthcare strategy engagements. Outside of work, I am passionate about global health and volunteer with a nonprofit organization that provides global health education, and I also volunteer at a local animal shelter!

Rebecca is a Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist for the Maine Center of Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). She as held this position for 2 years and has experience in surveillance, needs assessments, and program evaluation. In her role, she works with the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System dataset (PRAMS), Maine's Title V program, Maine's Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program (MIECHV), and more. Previous to her role, she completed the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Applied Epidemiology Fellowship at the Maine CDC in Maternal and Child Health. As a SPH student, Rebecca participated as a mentee in the SPH Mentorship program and enjoys participating in the program as a mentor as well, having mentored 2 students in the program.

Currently, I serve as the Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for the University of Maryland Medical System where I am responsible for providing strategic vision, leadership, direction and operational effectiveness across the health system.

My areas of expertise include operations, strategy and governance.

Hi, my name is Sania, and I’m a current first year pediatric resident in Boston. My background is in public health with a specific focus with health education and health behavior. I have a small jewelry business and I love Kpop! I am open to discussing anything premed or public health.

I am a research project manager in the School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Equity, at the University of Michigan. My research focuses on Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias, as well as genetic testing (in and outside the context of neurodegenerative diseases). In this role, I help HBHE faculty and other researchers implement study protocols by aiding in administrative tasks, actively participating in research data collection, and writing peer-reviewed publications based on the collected data.

For nearly four decades, I've worked at the intersection of national health policy on access to care and community-based health care delivery for low-income households, including nonprofit executive leadership, data analytics, risk management, and corporate compliance. I've worked in four federally qualified health centers, as well as for the US Congress and the Urban Institute. I also led the effort to establish a local immigration legal aid nonprofit.

I work as a Toxicologist at NSF International, specializing in conducting chemical safety and toxicological risk assessments for food, water, consumer products and dietary supplements. I previously worked as an Environmental Health Scientist, and helped draft systematic reviews and technical reports for the EPA, NIEHS, VA for assessing environmental pollutants. I am open to talking about toxicology, experience in consulting, networking, and navigating life as an international student!

My current work place is at the Department of Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University, Thailand. I earned my D.D.S. from Chiang Mai University and Dr.P.H. in Dental Public Health and Oral Epidemiology from the School of Public Health, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1997. I am also a Thai Board-certified specialist in Dental Public Health. My research focuses on evidence-based dentistry, geriatric oral health, oral epidemiology, preventive dentistry, and community-based oral health programmes. My interests are multidisciplinary research and public health initiatives in order to improve access to oral healthcare for older adults and underserved populations. I am working as a key leadership role in advancing dental education, curriculum development, and quality assurance at Mahidol University.