MPH Alums: Where Are They Now?
A select group of our Epidemiology MPH alumni share about their accomplishments since graduation and what they gained from the program.
Eduardo Villoch III
Graduated: Spring 2021
Infection Prevention & Control Officer, Southern Healthcare Management
Eduardo Villoch III graduated with his MPH in Epidemiology in the Spring of 2021. Currently he works as an Infection Prevention & Control Officer at Southern Healthcare Management. This role has allowed him to collect data on infections, review it for trends, and educate staff to improve or correct adherence to infection control policies and protocols. About his time at Stempel College, he shared, it "helped introduce me to important epidemiology concepts I use in my job every day, such as contact tracing, principles of infection spread and control, assessing the function of a public health program, and effective public health communication with other experts and non-experts."
Kamelah T. Jones
Graduated: 2021
STD Epidemiologist, Florida Department of Health, Miami-Dade County
Kamelah T. Jones graduated with her MPH in Epidemiology in the Summer of 2021. Currently, she serves as the lead surveillance staff for rapid HIV transmission within Miami-Dade County. This role has allowed her to curate a standard departmental protocol to guide implementation of effective HIV prevention strategies to, ultimately, address prevention and care services that are not reaching members of the community. She shares that Stempel College’s MPH curriculum and experienced faculty prepared her on how to identify inequities of health to improve health outcomes within the community.
Laura Huertas
Graduated: 2022
Biostatistician, Bascom Palmer, University of Miami
Laura Huertas graduated with her MPH in Epidemiology in 2022. While at Stempel College, she had the opportunity to take comprehensive classes in other areas of public health, which allowed her to graduate as a well-rounded epidemiologist with a diverse set of skills. As a result, she is able to hold a biostatistician position, where her main responsibilities are to consult with study investigators at Bascom Palmer and to conduct and interpret statistical analyses for progress reports, presentations and publications.
Mariah Hamalainen
Graduated: 2022
Epidemiologist at Clarivate
Mariah Hamalainen graduated from Stempel College with her MPH in Epidemiology in the fall of 2022. She shares that the MPH program sparked her interest in data and statistics, and the role epidemiology plays in the discovery of both diseases and their cures. She currently works on producing epidemiological reports on various chronic and infectious diseases. She conducts literature reviews, analyzes and manages epidemiological data, builds disease forecast models, and compiles reports on the findings for the company's clients, so that they can utilize this information to find out the future global landscape of these conditions.
Nickolas Valencia
Graduated: 2022
Health Care-associated Infections (HAI) Epidemiologist, Florida Department of Health
Nico graduated with his MPH in Epidemiology in 2022. Currently, he works at the Florida Department of Health as a Health Care - associated Infections (HAI) Epidemiologist. In his role, he assists health care facilities with infection control assessment and responses (ICARs), multi drug-resistant organism (MDRO) case investigations, and supports the best infection prevention and control practices as per their setting type. About his time at Stempel College, he shared, this "program prepared me for my profession by exposing me to an array of subject matter experts and a multitude of diverse public health perspectives — whether from my peers or professors. From biostatistics to health equity, I was able to obtain so many valuable skills that are applicable to my current role; on that note, the practicum opportunity was truly life-changing. The program gave me the courage and skill set to enter the field of infection prevention. Additionally, by virtue of my practicum and the encouragement of my professors, I was given research experience as well. In my current field, critical thinking, research, diverse public health perspectives, and networking are important for success. I wholeheartedly believe that the MPH program gave me those tools."
Nikki Chuck
Graduated: 2014
Senior Health Educator, Florida Department of Health, Miami-Dade County
Nikki Chuck graduated from Stempel College with her MPH in Epidemiology in 2014. She currently serves as a Senior Health Educator at the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County where her role includes community outreach, health education, grant reporting and building community partnerships to strengthen support for multiple health initiatives through the Florida Department of Health and the Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade. "This program prepared me for my current role by equipping me with the knowledge, theory and skills necessary to fulfill my duties as a public health professional and a senior health educator," Nikki shared.