School of Public and Community Health Sciences

Desirae Backs

Desirae recently graduated with a BS in Exercise Science from The University of Montana. After graduating, her existing interest in public health was reinforced while volunteering in an Alzheimer's facility. She was intrigued by each individual's life story and by the degenerative disease they shared. She realized the individuals she worked with are lucky to afford the care they receive and wondered what happened to those individuals who could not afford the special care. With an MPH, she hopes to explore questions like these and continue helping less fortunate populations.

Paul Baumgartner

Paul (MPH student) has returned to Missoula after receiving a B.S. in Environmental Science from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Observing the health and fiscal disparities while visiting Kenya reinforced Paul's desire to work with people in need. After graduation from Trinity College, Paul returned to his hometown of Missoula and enrolled at The University of Montana. His goal was to complete his science requirements prior to applying to medical schools, but then Paul discovered UM's MPH program and applied. He sees an MPH degree fitting well with his goal of attaining a medical degree. Also, he sees the MPH degree facilitating his long term goal of working in the global health arena and doing research in public health in clinical epidemiology and infectious diseases.

Eric Blankenship, RN

Eric is currently working as an ER Nurse in Bend, Oregon where he enjoys working with culturally diverse and underserved populations.  He has also worked internationally as a nurse where he has strengthened his cultural competency and foreign language skills, which he feels will soon become required tools for every healthcare practitioner.  Eric is looking forward to expanding his healthcare knowledge and abilities with a MPH, while placing an emphasis on rural and international infectious disease issues, specifically co-morbidities of HIV and TB. 

“This program has provided me with an excellent opportunity to build upon my existing knowledge and skills in clinical medicine while allowing me time to continue my clinical practice.  Thus far, the content of my studies have already significantly broadened my perspective of current public health issues, and I am looking forward to further integrating these concepts and others within a broader clinical, analytical and policy-based practice” 

Tracy Boehm

Tracy (MPH student) received a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Minnesota and has worked in the public health field in Montana for over three years. One major interest Tracy has in public health surrounds not only the continuing development of health and wellness resources, but also the analysis of these resources and their effectiveness. One major concern for Tracy is how appropriately public health programs are designed to meet the needs of the target populations in rural settings and/or underserved areas. Through collaborative research efforts, Tracy hopes to develop health and wellness programs designed specifically for populations in these communities. Additionally, she hopes to continually improve her cultural competence to adequately evaluate and satisfy the specific needs and desires of populations.

Kelly Burningham

Kelly graduated with a bachelor's degree in Microbiology in 2003, and has been working in the field ever since.  Vaccine research sparked her interest in the epidemiology of infectious diseases.  Kelly's goal in the MPH program is to obtain the knowledge necessary to become a successful epidemiologist.

 

 

 

Jessica "Jessie" Counts

Jessie completed her undergraduate studies in 2000 at Denison University in Granville, OH.  There, she majored in economics and English.  In the MPH program, Jessie hopes to combine her skills as a researcher, her interest in statistics and data collection and her passion for bringing real change to members of her community.  In the long run, she would love to be able to partner her economic skills with her developing skills in public health to help assess the need to address public health issues within a community and the economic impact of such actions.

 

Jessica Edwards, Ph D

Jessica is currently working as a post-doctoral research fellow at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana, studying the pathogenesis of tularemia. During her training as a research scientist, Jessica has become interested in opportunities to move from behind the research bench and into the arena of public health, particularly rural health. She looks forward to expanding her knowledge of epidemiology and of the unique health issues faced by rural residents. Jessica hopes to explore career opportunities that utilize this knowledge following her research fellowship.

 

John Felton, MBA

John has been working in the administration end of public health for several years and has helped build and strengthen numerous public health services. His work includes, but isn't limited to, playing an active role on a community task force that facilitated the transformation of YCCHD from a branch department of county government into Montana's first, and only, freestanding multi-jurisdictional health serve district.

"This program is perfect for the practicing public health professional - academically challenging, practical knowledge that you can use every day at work, outstanding professors, and motivated classmates who will become part of your professional network. "

Debbie Gibson

Debbie holds a Biology/Chemistry BS from Carroll College and completed an internship to gain a Medical Technology degree.  For the past nine years she has been employed by the Montana Public Health Laboratory in Helena. She has had the opportunity to work in multiple areas of the laboratory and has been exposed to many of the different challenges that face the Public Health Department. She recently took a new position as National Laboratory Program Manager.  This position is part of a federal grant which was created to promote integration of local laboratories into public health testing.

Debbie felt the need to enhance her knowledge of public health, so she could be better prepared to assess the barriers that exist between local and public health laboratories and enable her to develop strategies that will strengthen the communication between the two.  She is particularly interested in the public health of rural Montana and feels the better she understands the full process of the public health system and all of the entities involved, the better she will be prepared to serve the community through public health services.

Although she has mainly been exposed to the infectious disease portion of public health, she has also seen the struggles that other sections face.  She hopes the MPH program will give her a better understanding of the public health system as a whole.

Jenny Gorsegner

Jenny became interested in public health while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo, West Africa. She is particularly concerned with issues of food security, clean water, and poverty-related diseases. She looks forward to acquiring skills in epidemiology and infectious diseases. To complement her MPH, Jenny is simultaneously pursuing an M.S. in Environmental Studies. She is a native of Oregon and a graduate of Western Oregon University. When not thinking about saving the world single-handedly (picture a cape), she enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog "Nia" and reading several books at once.

 

Desiree Harris

Desiree earned a B.S. in Health Promotion from Montana State University – Billings. Currently she is working as a Health Educator for the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Lame Deer, MT. Her Public Health interests include women’s health, diabetes prevention and STI education. Desiree is looking forward to the MPH program to increase her knowledge about epidemiology and enhance her current job skills.

 

 

Anna Iverson

Anna earned a B.S. in Economics from Montana State University. In addition to the MPH, Anna is also working on getting an M.A. in Economics from The University of Montana. Health issues have long fascinated her and, recently, thesis research sparked her interest in exploring the interactions between economics and public health. Anna hopes to learn more about how these interactions can provide suggestions, and guidelines for research aimed at improving a variety of health problems.

“The MPH program has given me a great opportunity to examine and combine my interests. I know the knowledge I gain from this program will enhance both my professional and personal life experiences.” 

 

Rachel Kovach

Rachel is passionate about finding ways to improve the healthcare for people living with HIV/AIDS. More generally speaking, she would like to be involved in improving the health of people in Montana as well as abroad. She has completed international community service in both Ethiopia and Juarez, Mexico.

"This program makes me excited to be a part of the public health field. I have learned so much from the diverse backgrounds of the other students and have been amazed by the intentional investment of faculty in my UM experience!"

Kate Marone

Kate earned her BA in Sociology/Social Work from a small university in Western New York. Since then, she has worked in public health emergency preparedness for local health departments- first in northern Michigan and now in Great Falls, MT. She has gained a limited introduction to public health from her work. She is particularly interested in how the repercussions of global poverty, climate change and access to safe water will prove to be challenges that public health must address in the years to come- she hopes that this MPH program will help foster those interests.

Darcy Merchant

Darcy graduated with a BA in Environmental Studies from Montana State University-Billings in the spring, 2006.  He is currently employed at the Billings Area Indian Health Service, Injury Prevention Program as an Assistant Area Injury Prevention Specialist.  Darcy possesses a profound and energetic passion for addressing health disparities within American Indian populations in the United States.  Darcy plans to utilize the MPH program at The University of Montana to further develop competencies in areas of leadership and prevention to address these disparities on American Indian reservations.

“The MPH Program here at The University of Montana is creating the opportunity for American Indians to receive proper training so that they can go back to their communities and reservations to address these problems and enhance their quality of life.”

Cara Morgan

Cara is interested in a wide range of public health issues. Her interests include nutrition, community health education, pre-and postnatal health, end-of-life care, and alcoholism and depression on Montana American Indian reservations.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the MPH program in order to pursue my passion for health and to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully contribute to a future health-related career in Montana."

 

Brian Ostrum, MS

Brian is interested in complementing his MPH degree with an MD. His interests span both the social and clinical aspects of public health. Currently he is focused on studying issues in rural healthcare and the aging population.

"The benefits in this program have been immediate. From the beginning of my first public health course, my perspectives on health interactions between the individual and society have been continually challenged and affirmed in new ways. I'm thankful to be sharing this exploration in public health with driven classmates and professors."

 

Apryle Pickering, MA

Apryle is interested in exploring public health through the lens of an anthropologist. She is interested in acquiring skills that will help her understand social systems and the local knowledge that influences health services. She would like to participate in identifying community health problems as well as evaluating the effectiveness of population-based health services. By combining degrees in anthropology and public health, she would like to assess and enhance the quality of current family planning programs nationally and internationally.

"The MPH program has provided me with the tools to successfully pursue my career goals."

 

Elizabeth Reinhardt, Ph D

Elizabeth Reinhardt is a first year MPH student. She has a B.A. in English and a PhD in Forestry, and works for the Forest Service at the Missoula Fire Lab, studying fire ecology, fuels and climate change. She is a native Montanan and lives on a farm near Arlee with her husband and 2 teen-aged daughters. She enjoys gardening, quilting, traveling and reading.

 

 

 

Emily River, M Ed

Emily has wide-ranging experience in mental health and cross-cultural work that contributes to her abiding clinical interest in treatment and trauma and its effects on health. She is also interested in women's health and how one can attain optimal health by making consistent life choices.

"The diversity and depth of experience of both the faculty and other students create a challenging, well-rounded, and exciting graduate program."

 

Kerry Ryan

Kerry (MPH Student) graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a B.S. in Genetics. There, she did several internships, including working at a local public health department where she assisted in a West Nile Virus task force and Small Pox mock outbreak. She just relocated from Northern California to Missoula to completely focus on her graduate work. Kerry is extremely passionate about infectious disease epidemiology and hopes to work in an investigatory field. She is currently serving as a research assistant to Dr. Golbeck, working on models of numeracy and statistics education. She is in the beginning stages of the professional paper component of the degree, with the expectation of deducing how Justinian's Plague moved into Ireland in the 540's.

"It is so wonderful to be finally working with other students and professors who are as enthusiastic about Public Health as I am. Everyone in the department wants to continue to learn and share knowledge, all for the greater good."

Kristie Scheel, MS

Kristie is interested in learning about attitudes and behaviors, effective methods of prevention, and health promotion in a multitude of settings. She is also interested in exploring holistic models of health and wellness. She would like to acquire a foundation in theoretical and practical knowledge and experience that pertains to issues of patient advocacy, establishing health communities, as well as determining adequate coping strategies.

"I have found that the MPH program at UM offers an excellent interdisciplinary approach to public health problems bridging local, national and international issues that give students a unique perspective on the most pressing health concerns of today."

Celeste Schoenthaler

Celeste is interested in researching and promoting prevention for diseases caused by lack of physical exercise, improper nutrition, illiteracy, and use of tobacco. She has a special interest in improving the health of rural communities.

"I am really excited to be a part of this program, and look forward to a successful career in public health"

 

 

Rebecca "Becca" Shern

Becca earned her B.S. in Dietetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After spending the first year of her career working as a Registered Dietitian at the community hospital in Ketchikan, Alaska, she relocated to Missoula and is now working as the Registered Dietitian for the University of Montana Dining Services. While Becca is interested in many aspects of Public Health, she’s particularly drawn to underserved populations’ issues with food insecurity, under and over nutrition, diabetes and alcoholism. She is also excited to implement newly learned public health concepts in her work on campus.

"Public health nutrition has been my primary interest since beginning my undergraduate dietetics studies. I would like to pursue a Master's in Public Health to further expand my knowledge of disease prevention and health promotion... "

Julie Stevens

Julie received a B.S. in Health Science from Boise State University.  She and her husband Kyle are excited to be back in Montana with their children, William and Emma. The last two years Julie served as an AmeriCorps Team Leader for the Literacy Support Corps in Missoula. Julie is eager to continue her education pursuing her interest in epidemiology. She hopes to pair her MPH with a PharmD in the future.

 

 

Leigh Taggart, RN

Leigh is currently working as an emergency and intensive care nurse at St. Vincent Hospital in Billings.  She has been a nurse since 1996 and prior to that enjoyed a career as a ski patroller in Park City, Utah and a raft guide in Colorado.  She has a B.S. in Nutrition from the University of Vermont.  She is interested in nursing education, trauma prevention and the possible opportunities for work in developing countries that may be afforded by having a combined nursing and MPH degree. Her other interests include competitive horse riding, travel, knitting and gravity sports.

 

 

Susie Zanto

Susie earned her B.S. in Microbiology, and after a twelve-month internship, has been a practicing Clinical Laboratory Scientist for over 25 years.  As a licensed CLS, Susie also is certified as a specialist in Microbiology.  With over 20 years of experience in a state public health laboratory, Susie has found that safeguarding the health of the citizens of Montana is as rewarding as caring for an individual patient.  

“Pursuing an advanced degree is a natural offshoot of my public health experience, and the on-line program at UM allows me the flexibility to continue my current career commitment to public health.”