KaShunti is a public health professional, researcher, and Quality Care Director dedicated to improving health outcomes for underserved populations through innovation, collaboration, and evidence-based practice. She holds a master's degree in Public Health and another in Public Administration, and am currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Community Health Promotion at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her work focuses on Medicaid quality improvement and advancing equitable maternal health outcomes, with a special interest in culturally responsive care for Black women. 

MPH Health Law and Policy, Maternal and Child Health,   Boston University

Dejah is a second-year MPH student (Health Policy and Law, Maternal and Child Health) at Boston University from Fitchburg, MA. For her undergraduate studies, she attended Howard University, where she received a B.S. in nutritional science in May 2024. She is a current maternal health fellow at the Institute for Medicaid Innovation, where she contributes to projects that focus on expanding maternal health services (ie, Doulas, Midwives, etc.) under Medicaid. She is passionate about addressing the black maternal health crisis and advancing policies that expand access to essential services to help ensure equitable and positive birth outcomes for all birthing people.

Aisha Hampton is a graduate student in the Master of Public Health in Epidemiology program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Biomedical Focus from Stillman College.

Driven by a passion for health equity, Aisha’s work focuses on epidemiology, community engagement, public health research, and improving access to quality healthcare for underserved populations. Her interests include maternal and child health, infectious disease prevention, health education, and reducing health disparities through evidence-based programs and community partnerships.

As an aspiring Physician Assistant, Aisha is passionate about combining clinical care with public health to improve health outcomes and empower communities. She is excited to serve as a Network Director for the Maternal and Child Health National Network, where she looks forward to connecting students with meaningful opportunities, fostering collaboration, and advancing maternal and child health initiatives.

Suruchi is a 2nd‑year MS Epidemiology student at the University at Albany, SUNY, with over 5 years of field‑based public health research experience in Maternal and Child Health. She is driven by a commitment to health equity and focuses on how scientific research can inform real‑world action to improve the social, environmental and economic conditions that shape the lives of birthing people, families, and communities. Her interests include maternal health, breastfeeding equity, postpartum support, infant and child health, and amplifying the voices of groups often left out of research and policy, including low‑income families, women with disabilities, women of color, and LGBTQ+ birthing people.

This summer, she is completing two MCH‑focused internships: evaluating a guaranteed basic income pilot, Jubilant Birth Albany, with the United Way of the Greater Capital Region (UWGCR), and conducting Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccination research with the Bureau of Surveillance and Data Systems at Division of Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health. Her recent study on gestational age and breastfeeding initiation, presented at the UAlbany Showcase 2026, also earned her the Health Research, Inc. David Axelrod Award for Excellence in Scholarship.

Suruchi joined the MCH National Network because she values community, collaboration, and the belief that MCH is both scientific and equity‑driven work. As she transitions from her work in Nepal to US, she is excited to connect with like‑minded peers, learn from leaders in the field, and contribute to meaningful initiatives that strengthen Maternal and Child Health globally.

Matilda Schiewe is a recent graduate from the University of Michigan. She earned her Master of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Equity with a Certificate in Maternal and Child Health. 

Growing up in Colorado and Wyoming, Matilda gained a strong interest in both rural and global health more specifically the ways in which maternal and perinatal care is often limited in those areas. During her MPH internship, she completed eight weeks in Cape Coast, Ghana where she worked alongside public health professionals in child immunization, HIV treatment, and community outreach events at local schools. She hopes to grow in the field and connect with others with her role with the Alumni Committee.

Simone Nixon is a recent graduate of George Washington University where she received her MPH in Maternal and Child Health (MCH). Prior to this, she received her BS in Biology from Howard University. 

Her interests within MCH include, women's health research and funding, the US maternal mortality crisis, and human trafficking. Currently, she works as a Research Assistant for the peer-reviewed journal Women's Health Issues. Simone is excited to support MCH-NN as an Alumni Outreach Coordinator and hopes to help foster the growing community of MCH young professionals. 

Jordana is in her final year of a 4+1 BS/MPH program where she double majored in health administration and psychology for her undergraduate studies and is now finishing her MPH in community health and prevention with a minor in maternal and child health. During her time, she has been involved in many organizations on campus and has also done research in the politics of knowledge, feminist sociology, corruption in education, clinical nursing research, navigating the health system for children with disabilities, and more. In the future, she hopes to attend a PhD program focusing in the social and behavioral sciences to hone in on her interests in trauma-informed maternal and child mental health that spans both the health and education systems. She is passionate about doing this with community-engaged research guided by social network and spatial analysis techniques.

Morgan is a Registered Dietitan and Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She is from Howell, NJ and currently is living in Philadelphia, PA.

She completed her Undergraduate Degree in Nutrition and Food Science with a Concentration in Human Lactation, then went on to complete her Graduate Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics with a minor in Maternal and Child Health. Her main area of focus is Neonatal Health and Infant Nutrition. She is excited to extend the outreach of the MCH Network through the Newsletter committee. 

Keziah has had a long-term interest in supporting the health and well-being of my community that has manifested into pursuing a degree in Public Health. During her first year, she decided to pursue a certificate in Maternal and Child Health, with a particular interest in the intersection between women's health, nutrition, and chronic disease.

She is eager for this opportunity to not only apply my skills, but to also learn from different communities and serve them as the Newsletter Co-Manager this term.