Washington
, D.C.
, January 8, 2009
– The American Public Health Association (APHA) today named Monica Nettles Feit the recipient of the prestigious APHA Public Health Fellowship in Government. Feit will spend one year in Washington, D.C., working in a congressional office on legislative and policy issues related to health, the environment or other critical public health issues.
After a competitive selection process, APHA chose Feit, who earned her master’s degree in public health and recently completed her doctorate, as the 2009 fellowship recipient. With 16 years of professional experience, Feit brings a wide-ranging perspective to this fellowship from her broad experience in domestic and international public health, and her work with non-governmental organizations, government agencies, research councils and the private sector.
“It is crucial that public health professionals have an open dialogue with federal decision makers” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), executive director of APHA. “The Public Health Fellowship in Government provides a unique experience by increasing the capacity of public health professionals to influence the discussion and decisions by providing the relevant expertise. With Dr. Feit’s breadth of public health knowledge and experience, she will be a strong contributor, while continuing to grow and learn from the process.”
The fellowship, sponsored by a grant from Pfizer, provides a unique public policy learning experience, demonstrates the value of science-government interaction and makes practical contributions to enhancing public health science and practical knowledge in government.
Feit comes to Washington, D.C., after a 3-year stint conducting research with the South African Medical Research Council, investigating the connection between behavior change and lead poisoning among children in Johannesburg. Following graduation from Columbia’s School of Public Health, Feit served as country director with Project HOPE Bosnia and Herzegovina. She also has intensive experience in tobacco control.
“This hands-on experience will be invaluable to the field of public health, policy-makers and the public health fellow,” said Benjamin.