Schedule

PD Week Kick-Off: 

Jacey Cooper, former CA Medicaid Director Q&A

📍Location: CHS 13-105

🍕 Lunch will be provided

RSVP Here!

Details: Jacey Cooper is an accomplished healthcare executive with over 20 years of experience in Medicaid policy and healthcare delivery system reform. She is a proven leader in driving transformational initiatives at federal, state, and local levels.

Jacey most recently served as director of the State Demonstrations Group at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), where she oversaw the center’s efforts to support state-led innovations in Medicaid and CHIP demonstrations. She acted as the CMS lead for emerging policies requiring Section 1115 authority, provided technical assistance to states and issued federal guidance on 1115 budget neutrality. She also prioritized addressing health disparities, improving access and coverage, and advancing innovative service delivery models.

Before joining CMS, Jacey held multiple roles with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), most recently serving as California’s state Medicaid director and chief deputy director. During her tenure, she was instrumental in designing and launching the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) program, a transformation initiative aimed at reforms in population health, behavioral health, managed care, duals integration, social drivers of health and reentry. Through this, she played a key role in securing CMS’ approval for the state’s Health Related Social Needs and Justice-Involved 1115 demonstrations. She also led billions in investment to expand coverage, benefits, and payment reform initiatives.

Prior to her work in California Medicaid, Jacey served as an executive at a public hospital, Kern Medical Center, where she led the hospital’s transition from a county department to an independent hospital authority, launched the county’s self-funded health plan and managed their indigent care program.

We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to connect with Jacey and learn more about her public health journey! 

This event is open to all FSPH students, staff, faculty, and alumni.

Ask Me Anything: Dr. Zewde

📍Location: Health Equity Hub (CHS 17-242)

🍕 Lunch will be provided

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Join us for an informal chat with Dr. Naomi Zewde, distinguished faculty in the Health Policy & Management department at FSPH!

Originating on the Reddit platform, "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) events are interactive Q&A sessions where a person answers questions from an audience. AMAs are informal and allow for direct interaction, building trust and fostering engagement between the host and the audience.

Join the FSPH Ambassadors for our second Fielding School of Public Health AMA event with Dr. Naomi Zewde! This casual chat will be led by Nena Ojukwu, a 1st year MDSH student and FSPH Ambassador. There will also be opportunities for the audience to engage with Dr. Zewde, so feel free to prepare a question! Lunch will be provided to ticketed attendees.

SPACE IS LIMITED! The Health Equity Hub is small; please reserve your spot today!

Beyond the MPH with Emely Rauda

📍Location: CHS 76-059

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Join us for a chat with former Fielding student Emely Rauda as she shares more about her career journey, how she utilizes her MPH as a Community Education Specialist at the UCLA Labor Center and more about her work on the Nonviolence Education Project.

Dinner will be provided! 

This event is open to all FSPH students.

Professional Clothing Pop-Up

📍Location: CHS 76-059

Stop by the pop‑up to pick up free, gently used professional attire for interviews, work, and professional events. Open to all FSPH students, staff, faculty, and alumni. All items were donated by the FSPH community.

Virtual UCLA Health Skills-Based Resume and Interview Training with Brian Mclnerney

📍 Zoom

RSVP Here

Is your resume working as hard as you are? In a sea of 250+ applications per job posting, "good enough" is no longer enough. It’s time to move past the resume template and learn the high-impact strategies that turn applications into offers. The data is clear: the difference between a "good" resume and a "great" one is your ticket to an interview.

• 3x More Callbacks: A polished, strategic resume triples your chances of getting that first phone call.

• The 40% Advantage: Professionals who update their resumes regularly see 40% faster career advancement.

• Beat the Odds: Learn how to be the top choice out of those 250 competing applications.

Attendees will leave with an understanding of the following:

• Resume Architecture: How to build a document that passes both the AI filters and the human "6-second glance."

• The Interview Edge: Transitioning from "qualified candidate" to "must-hire" through high-impact storytelling.

• Alumni Insights: Direct advice from Brian McInerney on leveraging your UCLA MPH degree for maximum career ROI.

Join us for a high-impact, skills-based training session!

Virtual Grad Student Office Hours

📍 Zoom

This is an informal way for undergraduate students to ask questions and mingle with current Public Health graduate students.

Register on Zoom!

Public Health's Impact Across LA County

📍Location: CHS 53-105

☕ Coffee and pastries will be provided while supplies last

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Description: This session will highlight the impact of Los Angeles County’s work across the region, with a special focus on student engagement through the County’s Academic Internship Program (AIP). The event will bring together LA County staff and preceptors who have hosted UCLA Fielding students to discuss their public health initiatives, community impact, and the role students play in advancing this work. The AIP team will also share information relevant to prospective applicants. Together, the session serves as both a showcase of impact and a recruitment opportunity for future AIP participants. 

Audience: open to all students (undergraduate + graduate), staff, and faculty

Guest Speakers:

• Annie Pham: Program Director, Community Health Education & Linkages (CHEL), Department of Public Health

• Kristina Meza: Executive Director, Poverty Alleviation Policy Implementation And Alignment Branch, Office of Chief Executive

• Dr. Johnnetta L. Sanders: Program Manager, County of Los Angeles Department of Human Resources Talent Solutions Division, Academic Internship Program and Career Development Internship Program

• Zarine Ibranyan: Human Resources Analyst and Assistant Program Manager of the County of Los Angeles Department of Human Resources Talent Solutions Division, Academic Internship Program and Career Development Internship Program

Presentation 1

Presentation 2

LA County AIP Presentation

Questions and Coffee Networking

Practice in Motion: Where Skills Meet Purpose ft. Varied Practitioners

📍Location: Geffen Hall B36

🍽️ Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments provided!

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Description: Join us for a panel discussion featuring experienced leaders who will share practical, real world insights on leveraging transferable skills, navigating career pivots, and adapting to a rapidly evolving job market. The conversation will demystify non-linear career paths and offer guidance on applying your experience across roles and industries within healthcare. The program will conclude with dedicated time for networking and connection.

Audience: open to all students (undergraduate + graduate), staff, and faculty

Guest Speakers:

• Louise McCarthy, MPP, President & CEO, Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC)

• Henna Zaidi, MPH, MPP, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Advantage Healthcare Services

• Annie Chen Treadway, MPH, Principal, Technology & Data Trust Assurance Services, Blue Shield of California

• Hajar Ahmed, MPH, LBBP, Project Manager, Yellow Brick Consulting

Panel

Cocktail Networking Hour 

Professional Headshots

📍Location: Switzer Plaza

Reserve your spot using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040E4EAEAC22AAFC1-62022852-fsph

NO WALK-UPS ALLOWED. You must have a reservation. The photographer only has time to meet with people who have signed up for a time slot. There will be another headshot opportunity during Spring Professional Development Week next quarter. These are optional professional headshots taken by an ASUCLA photographer and mildly edited. They can be used for resumes, LinkedIn, portfolios, research projects, conference presentations, etc.

You should receive a link to view your photos within 2 weeks to the email specified in your reservation. Please double check your email.