Students' Corner — Meet some Section Liaisons

My name is Lisa Oakley. I am finishing an MPH in international public health at Oregon State University. I am really excited to have the opportunity to volunteer as a student liaison to the Epidemiology Section. My research has focused mostly on sexual health, HIV/AIDS, and STIs in Latinos and older adults. My perspective to the Epidemiology Section is unique in that I am not focusing my graduate training on epidemiology. Rather, I recognize the value of the information used by this field in all aspects of public health and the importance for students of any track to build epidemiological skills.

I am really interested in highlighting the success of students in epidemiology and plan to soon begin a "student snapshot" in the newsletter to highlight student achievements. If you or someone you know has made a contribution to the field (on any scale), or if you have any questions about the Section, please feel free to send me an e-mail at oakelyl@onid.orst.edu.

 My name is Heidi Jean Mortensen. I am hoping to complete my MPH (concentration in epidemiology) from the distance program at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in May 2009. I am a medical librarian at Sutter Roseville Medical Center (Roseville, Calif.) and part-time staff research associate at UC Davis Medical Center (Sacramento, Calif.). It has been a wonderful experience to have volunteered as a student liaison in the Epidemiology Section for the past two years. I especially enjoy helping at the APHA Annual Meetings and reviewing abstracts.

hmortensen@ucdavis.edu   

Do you want to get involved?

·      Communicate with your Epidemiology student representatives. Please e-mail me with any questions about the Section or APHA, suggestions for student activities within our Section, and issues you believe need to be addressed within the Section or the Student Assembly.

·      Contribute to the Epidemiology Section's newsletter. Please e-mail us if you would have an article idea for the Student Corner — let us know what you’re working on or issues that are important to you! 

·      Volunteer for Section activities. Students are more than welcome to respond to announcements that are sent through the listserv seeking volunteers; these announcements are NOT just reserved for senior level members. The student liaisons also have projects we’re working on and can always use some help.

We encourage your participation and ask that you check out the Epidemiology Section Web site <http://www.apha.org/extranet/epi/default.htm>. The Epidemiology Section is great opportunity to enhance your educational and professional experiences! Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments.

Lisa & Heidi

Submitted by Student Assembly Section Liaisons Lisa Oakley & Heidi Mortensen