PMF Biographies

Sylvia Abdullah, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division for Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

Sylvia provides extramural and cooperative agreement support to various countries and projects in the Division for Global Health Protection. Her efforts developing new funding announcements, managing the merit review process, and coordinating extramural actions throughout award implementation bolster the award life cycle of cooperative agreements. Sylvia earned a Master of Public Health in population and family health as well as a certificate in humanitarian action from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and human rights from Barnard College.

Hallie Andrews, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Planning, Budget, and Legislation, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy & Issues Management

Hallie supports the National Center for Health Statistics’ policy team, primarily serving as the outreach and partnerships liaison for the Center. In this role, Hallie manages internal and external partnership engagement strategies, supports external funding opportunities through the CDC Foundation and interagency agreements, and informs center-wide health equity activities as both the policy team’s rural health and tribal engagement points-of-contact. Hallie earned her Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work from Georgia State University. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

Samantha Arndt, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Office of Science, Deputy Director for Public Health Science and Surveillance, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Communication Specialist

Samantha supports the communications team in the Office of Science’s Office of the Director by reviewing, editing, writing, and creating a variety of materials. She earned a master’s degree in international and intercultural communication with certificate in public diplomacy from the University of Denver and a bachelor’s degree in European studies with focuses in business and history from Portland State University.

Katie Busalacchi, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Performance and Evaluation Office, Office of Policy, Performance, and Evaluation, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

In this role, Katie serves on the Program Strategy Unit, which provides tailored technical assistance to CDC programs in the areas of strategy, program design, and development of new funding opportunities. In her role, she also supports programs in other key activities such as drafting performance narratives for CDC’s annual budget submission and preparing for high profile strategic discussions with agency leadership. Katie earned a Master of Public Health degree in social and behavioral sciences from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from Penn State University. She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania.

Emma Butturini, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: World Trade Center Health Program, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Epidemiologist

As part of the Research Planning and Care Integration Unit in the World Trade Center Health Program, Emma supports a variety of research activities. She advances knowledge surrounding the long-term health effects of exposure to the 9/11 attacks, which informs care for Program members; assists with data systems management and related analyses of clinical data; and communicates Program impact through data visualizations. She earned a master’s degree in public health in global epidemiology from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University.

Molly Cantrell, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist

Molly works with science and policy staff on the development and implementation of the National Wastewater Surveillance System. She supports COVID-19 wastewater surveillance efforts—specifically in settings with low-resource waste systems—to promote health equity domestically and globally. She also provides evaluation and lab support on other COVID-19 and Environmental Microbiology and Engineering (EME) Global water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects. Molly earned her master’s in environmental engineering, with a focus on environmental health, from Tufts University.

Shirley Castillo, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy and Issues Management

Shirley is an Executive Analyst for Public Health Workforce Development assisting with the CDC agency-wide Health Workforce Governance initiative. She holds a Master of Public Health with a focus on global health practice and an advanced graduate certificate in public health policy and programs from the University of South Florida. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and international studies with a focus on Middle Eastern studies from the University of South Florida.

Meghan Clancy, MPP

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy and Issues Management

Meghan contributes to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control’s (NCIPC) Office of Policy and Partnerships’ Legislative and Issues Management (LIM) team by providing technical assistance on the Injury Center’s priority topics. In this role, Meghan facilitates engagement activities with Center divisions and congressional partners to communicate the importance of the Center’s work on key priority topics. She also supports the LIM team as a liaison to the Office of Strategy and Innovation regarding adverse childhood experiences. Meghan earned a master’s degree in public policy from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia (UVa) and a bachelor’s degree in government from UVa’s Politics Department.

Margaret Curtis, MSc

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Office of Financial Resources, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy and Issues Management Analyst

In her position, Margaret supports the different offices within OFR with an eye to supporting CDC’s overall financial resource management. Margaret earned her master’s degree in international public policy from University College London and her bachelor’s degree in English from Wesleyan University.

Johnathan Dobben, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Office of Safety, Security, and Asset Management, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Johnathan works in the Office of Safety, Security, and Asset Management (OSSAM) where he provides analysis of CDC’s internal policies as it relates to safety, security, and asset management to support CDC’s public health science and programs. In addition to reviewing internal policies, he also provides budget planning, performance, and risk management support. Johnathan earned a master’s degree in political science from Purdue University. He is also a Doctor of Philosophy candidate at Purdue and is actively working on his dissertation.

Keegan Edgar, MSPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst Policy – Issues Management

As a program specialist in the Mycotic Disease Branch, Keegan provides support for policy development, strategic communications, and Branch operations. He collaborates with interagency and external partners to coordinate technical assistance, education, and awareness for fungal pathogens. Keegan earned a Master of Science in Public Health Policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Paul Elish, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Chief of Staff, Office of the Director, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

Paul serves as special assistant to Dr. Mitchell Wolfe, Chief Medical Officer of the CDC, and as a Public Health Advisor in the CDC’s Global Health Coordination Unit. He creates briefing materials for high-level meetings in coordination with CDC policy and subject matter experts, coordinates meetings on CDC’s global health security work, and supports the CDC’s global strategy. He earned a master’s degree in public health with a focus in global epidemiology from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and earned bachelor’s degrees in Latin American studies and biology from Yale University.

Peter Farruggia, JD, MBA, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director for Policy, External Relations, & Communication, Division for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, Office of the Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Disease; Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor – Health Policy & Issues Management Analyst

Peter supports Center for Policy, External Relations, and Communication (PERC) in developing policies and best practices surrounding cardiac health, heart disease, and stroke prevention, with a particular emphasis on health equity, access, literacy, and disparities. Peter also helps liaise with Congress and accompanying Congressional Directives dealing with new or revised policies, budgetary appropriations, and suggested guidance. Peter holds a Juris Doctor in Health Law & Policy, Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management, and Master of Public Health in Healthcare Administration, all from the University at Buffalo (SUNY).

William Fotter, MPP

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Appropriations, Office of Financial Resources, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

William assists the Office of Appropriations with budget formulation and policy analysis. He also analyzes pertinent appropriations legislation to determine its impact on public health and the CDC and writes summaries and memoranda with the results of his policy analysis. William earned a master’s degree in public policy from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Arizona.

Harrison Gill, MPA, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Workforce Development, National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

Harrison supports student- and teacher-focused programs in the Epidemiology Workforce Branch to prepare students for future public health careers. Serving as deputy to the program lead for both the CDC Science Ambassador Fellowship and the Epidemiology Elective Program, his role includes managing various operational activities with an emphasis on collaboration with internal and external partners. He earned a Master of Public Administration and a master’s in international education management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) and a bachelor’s in international studies from UC San Diego.

Jennifer Hartnett, MPA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Acquisition Services, Office of Financial Resources, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Contract Specialist

Jennifer supports her office with the acquisition of supplies and services by preparing solicitation and award documents, consulting with internal stakeholders, negotiating with vendors, and performing additional contract functions. She facilitates procurement activities with CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) to fulfill their acquisition requirements. She earned a master’s degree in public administration with specializations in health policy and public management and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from the University of Georgia.

Kavya Hiryur, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Kavya supports agency leadership on the CDC Data Modernization Initiative (DMI), an effort focused on transforming data and surveillance to protect us against public health threats, through assessing implementation progress and program outcomes. She utilizes data visualization tools to organize, evaluate, and communicate information. Kavya earned her master’s degree in public health in epidemiology and her bachelor’s degree in bioinformatics from the University of Pittsburgh.

Anna Hopkins, MA

Fellowship Assignment: World Trade Center Health Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Writer/Editor

Anna serves on the Administrative and Business Support Unit in the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. As a writer/editor, she primarily assists the Medical Benefits and Certifications Unit in drafting, editing, and managing documents relating to medical coverage for WTC Health Program members. She earned her Master of Arts in science writing from Johns Hopkins University and her Bachelor of Arts in earth and planetary sciences from Northwestern University.

Katherine Irani, MPH, MSW

Fellowship Assignment: Physical Activity and Health Branch, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist

In Katherine’s role, she evaluates existing and model transportation and land use policies to improve built and social environments for physical activity. Through this work, she synthesizes evidence and identifies policy interventions that can increase equitable access to safe places for leisure and transportation-related physical activity for historically marginalized groups. Katherine received her Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health degrees from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, and her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Women’s Studies and Spanish from the University of Michigan.

Alana Laanui, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Policy, Performance, and Communication, Office of Financial Resources, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy and Issues Management

As a Health Policy and Issues Management Analyst, Alana assists with emergency response funding, including CDC’s COVID-19 response. In this role, she coordinates with various internal and external stakeholders to ensure accountability in the funding process. She earned a master’s degree in international affairs from University of California San Diego and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Portland.

Brian Li, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Center for Global Health
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

In this role, Brian manages contracts that advance CDC’s global public health initiatives. Brian earned his Master of Public Health from George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health.

Gerald Lilly, MD, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: World Trade Center Health Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

In this role, Gerald works primarily with the development and implementation of quality assurance, control, and improvement activities and the assessment of program activity performance. He comes to the WTC Health Program as a 2021 Presidential Management Fellow after completing his Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health degrees from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in the Fall of 2020. Prior to medical school, he worked in pharmaceutical manufacturing and quality assurance at Pfizer for over 10 years.

Steve Literati IV, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Grants Services, Office of Financial Resources, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Management and Program Analyst

In his current role, Steve supports efforts in analyzing and evaluating the effectiveness of CDC’s grants processes; trains and communicates with staff and grant recipients on CDC grants procedures; and manages various projects improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Office of Grants Services. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Southern California, and his bachelor’s from American University.

Zach Litwiller, MPA

Fellowship Assignment: World Trade Center Health Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Communications Specialist

Zach supports his office in communication activities and develops communication materials to raise awareness about the World Trade Center Health Program to various audiences. He also coordinates with external partners and contractors to ensure project quality, accuracy, and timeliness, and provides support on several special projects for the Program. Zach earned his master’s in public administration and a certificate in emergency management and homeland security from University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs. He double majored to earn a bachelor’s in communication studies and in Christian theology from Grove City College.

Sophie Lobanov-Rostovsky, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Global Noncommunicable Disease Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

As a public health advisor in the Office of Global Noncommunicable Disease, Sophie works on projects to assist countries with integrating preventative care into existing infectious disease programs and to promote health equity in chronic disease care. She earned a master’s degree in international economics and Middle East studies from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a bachelor’s degree in political science and global development studies from Grinnell College. She also spent four years working at a leading healthcare informatics company where she assisted hospitals and health systems in four countries with change management as they implemented new electronic medical records systems.

Lizzie Martin, MPA, MA (anticipated December 2021)

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Office of the Director, CDC Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst (Policy & Issues Management)

Lizzie is a Public Health Analyst on the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity’s Strategic Programs Team. Her multidisciplinary work supports efforts to foster an inclusive culture at CDC. This includes analyzing data and policies to develop action plans for driving change. As a Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative fellow, Lizzie earned a Master of Public Affairs with a certificate in global health and health policy from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in public policy and creative writing from Princeton University and will receive a research master’s degree in statistics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in December 2021.

William McMutuary, MPA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

William supports the Center Director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion as Special Assistant by reviewing, editing, writing, and creating a variety of materials. He earned a master’s degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Georgia State University.

Daniel Milan, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Office of the Director, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist

Daniel supports the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity’s Strategic Programs team with data management, analyses, and visualizations across multiple initiatives including special emphasis programs, annual reports, and executive orders. Daniel earned a master’s degree in public health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a bachelor’s degree in public health from Georgia State University.

Julia Nussenbaum, MPA

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Julia’s cross-cutting work in DBD OD includes emergency response coordination, global health program coordination, strategic planning, and internal communications. She also supports DBD’s Pertussis and Legionnaires’ disease programs. Julia has served on CDC’s COVID-19 Response in several capacities, and she is an active member of the NCIRD Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Council. Julia earned her MPA from the Evans School of Public Policy at the University of Washington, focusing on public finance and budgeting. She earned her BA from Oberlin College, focusing on economics, politics, and Chinese language.

William O’Bryan, JD

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Acquisition Services, Office of Financial Resources, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Contract Specialist

William works in the CDC Office of Acquisition Services (OAS) drafting and monitoring contract actions. As a member of Team 2 of the Preparedness, Surveillance, Injury Prevention, Environmental Health, and Facilities Acquisition Branch, he handles procurement of supplies and services for several centers within CDC, including the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS); the Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR); and the Center for State, Tribal, Local. and Territorial Support (CSTLTS). William earned a Bachelor of Arts in classics at the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Juris Doctor from Penn State Law.

Caroline Olson, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst- Policy and Issues Management

Caroline supports the Policy Team in the Division of Viral Hepatitis. She performs research on the changing landscape of viral hepatitis-related policy, as well as assists with the development of policy communications for internal and external stakeholders. Caroline earned a Master of Public Health in environmental health from Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and environmental science from Emory University.

Emily Pingel, MPH, PhD

Fellowship Assignment: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Fellowship Position: Health Communication Specialist

Emily serves on the Research and Evaluation Team of the Prevention Communication Branch. She supports her team in coordinating formative research and monitoring and evaluation activities for the national HIV prevention campaign, “Let’s Stop HIV Together,” and other HIV prevention communication tools developed and disseminated by the Division. Emily is the former Managing Director of the Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities at the University of Michigan, where she also earned her Master of Public Health. Emily completed her doctorate in sociology, with a focus on health and inequalities, from Emory University. She received a Fulbright and a Boren Fellowship to conduct her dissertation research in a primary care clinic in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Trevor Pugh, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Trevor helps the Division conduct workforce science and data analysis pertaining to programs and projects designed to recruit new public health professionals. His current area of focus pertains to developing a new consultation service for the Agency to use for recruiting, retraining, and upskilling the workforce. Trevor earned a master’s degree in public health, with a focus in health policy and management, from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. He earned his Bachelor of Science in public health from American University in Washington, D.C.

Charles Quackenbush, MPA, JD

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Office of the Director, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst (Policy & Issues Management)

Charles assists with efforts to ensure that the public health principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are enshrined within CDC’s policies and practices. This work includes researching developing DEIA legislation and administrative rules, creating new policies that address DEIA developments, and reviewing operational policies for DEIA lapses. Charles earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University.

Victoria Ramirez, MPH, MPA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst – Policy and Issues Management

Victoria serves as a public health analyst on the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases’ (NCEZID) Congressional Affairs team. She supports NCEZID’s portfolio by managing interactions with Congress, responding to inquiries from the Hill, coordinating technical assistance on draft legislation, and collaborating with leadership to measure program outcomes. She earned her dual master’s degrees in public health and public administration from the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Denver and her bachelor’s degree in health and wellness promotion at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

Jasmine Rasberry, MBA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Budget Services, Office of Financial Resources, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Budget Analyst

In this role, Jasmine provides planning guidance, budget analysis, and status of funds reports to the offices supported by her branch. Jasmine received a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Florida, a Master of International Management and Intercultural Communication from Technische Hochschule Köln and Uniwersytet Warszawski, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Finance from the University of Central Florida.

John Richardson, MAPM

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services, Deputy Director for Public Health Science Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

In this role, John supports the management of learning design consultation and fellowship education programs with the goal of improving efficiency, effectiveness, and maintaining excellent customer service. John earned a master’s degree in public management from Johns Hopkins University. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi in secondary education with an emphasis in social studies.

Ann Elizabeth Riddle, MPA, MA

Fellowship Assignment: World Trade Center Health Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Technical Writer/Editor

Ann supports the World Trade Center Health Program’s business, research, and communication units by providing technical writing and subject matter expertise for project development plans, manuals, standard operating procedures, and contracts. She also works with the Training and Education team on internal and external training, professional development, and communication with stakeholders. Ann earned a master’s degree in public administration with a certificate in city management as well as a master’s in political science with a certificate in nonprofit management from Villanova University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Hiram College.

Kyle Rosenblum, MiM

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy and Issues Management

In this role​, Kyle facilitates issues management requests for the Division, supports partnerships with key collaborators on division topics such as suicide prevention, and conducts policy analyses relevant to Division priorities. Kyle earned a Master of Management Science in global affairs from Tsinghua University through the Schwarzman Scholars program and a Bachelor of Arts in policy studies and Bachelor of Science in psychology from Syracuse University.

James Ross, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

In this role, James is responsible for managing projects with domestic and international partners, assisting global surveillance teams, supporting publication development, and consulting on grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts. James earned a Master of Public Health in global health policy from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in Asian studies and exercise and sport science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Hatim Shafiq, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Mycotic Diseases Branch, Division of Foodborne Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Hatim supports the administration of public health programs in the Mycotic Diseases Branch (MDB). He is responsible for coordinating with domestic and international partners and is involved in Division-level global health security initiatives. Hatim works with subject matter experts in mycotic diseases to assist partners with fungal disease outbreaks, anti-microbial resistance, and epidemiology and laboratory capacity building. He earned a master’s degree in public health from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, and a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Wayne State University.

Philip Shirk, PhD, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Virology, Surveillance, and Diagnosis Branch; Influenza Division; National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist

Philip serves on a team working to improve seasonal flu vaccines by optimizing surveillance of influenza virus and advancing predictive models. He graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in zoology from the University of Florida. He also has a Master of Science in biology from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor of Arts in biology and environmental science from Eastern Mennonite University.

Lila Ram Siwakoti, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Associate Director for Policy, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy & Issues Management Analyst

Lila supports the agency leadership team for high-level multilateral and bilateral engagements, including the World Health Organization Executive Board Meeting, World Health Assembly, and United Nations General Assembly. Lila also researches and analyzes key policy topics for outreach and engagement with policymakers and stakeholders. He received his master’s degree in public health with a focus in health policy and management from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Emory University.

Iva Skobic, PhD, MSPH, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Special Initiatives Branch, Division of Global HIV and TB, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst/Workforce and Career Development Lead

In her role as Workforce and Career Development Lead, Iva supports domestic and international staff in developing strategies to increase workforce performance, accountability, and recognition. Iva holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Behavior Health Promotion and a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of Arizona. She received her bachelor’s degree in International Studies/Global Security from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Kendra Smith, PhD

Fellowship Assignment: World Trade Center Health Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

In this role, Kendra evaluates program services, analyzes data, tracks metrics, and identifies opportunities to improve processes and quality of healthcare for WTC Health Program members. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in psychological and brain sciences as well as a graduate certificate in quantitative data analysis from Washington University in St. Louis. Kendra earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology from Davidson College.

Westin Wallace, JD, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Human Resources Office, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Human Resources Specialist

In this role, Westin provides assistance to CIOs in areas including, but not limited to, recruitment, staffing, and classification. Westin collaborates with teams across CSO to refine internal operating procedures in these areas. Westin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in human development from Cornell University, a Juris Doctor from Lewis & Clark College, and a Master of Science in social work from Columbia University.

Marilyn Werner, MPH, CHES^®

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Communications Specialist

Marilyn supports her division in the development, review, and dissemination of communications materials, including a national cardiovascular disease prevention campaign. She earned a master’s degree in public health in behavioral, social, and health education sciences from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Michigan State University.

Rachel West, PhD

Fellowship Assignment: Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist

Rachel supports the development, implementation, and analysis of the National Wastewater Surveillance System. She collaborates with state, local, and tribal partners, as well as across agencies to optimize wastewater surveillance of COVID-19 and potential additional targets. Rachel also works with CDC partners to evaluate current programs and improve implementation. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in molecular microbiology and immunology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with a dissertation focusing on P. falciparum malaria transmission.

Samantha Williams, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Foodborne, Waterborne & Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging & Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

Samantha serves as an epidemiologist within the Mycotic Diseases Branch. She supports the branch’s surveillance efforts and provides technical assistance for data analyses related to endemic fungal diseases. Samantha earned a master’s degree in public health from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Louie Al-Hashimi, MPA

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Laboratory Sciences, Office of the Director, National Center for Environmental Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Management & Program Analyst

Louie helps manage division operations in order to best support CDC scientists in conducting environmental health, lab-based research. His areas of focus include organizational development, process improvement, and administrative systems and data management. Louie earned a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh.

Renee De Shay, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

Renee promotes global health security as a Desk Officer in the Division of Global Health Protection. She provides country coordination, administrative, and operational support to CDC country offices in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ethiopia, Central Asia, and Pakistan. Renee earned a master’s degree in public health, with a focus in behavioral sciences and health education, and a certificate in water, sanitation, and hygiene from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. She earned bachelor’s degrees in music and print journalism from Southern Adventist University.

Abigail Durak, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, CDC Washington Office, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy Issues Management Analyst

Abigail keeps Congress appraised of breaking public health developments at CDC, and provides insights into the Washington policy environment for CDC leadership. She helps to prepare CDC leadership for Congressional hearings and briefings and coordinates responses for Congressional inquiries. She earned a master’s degree in public health in health policy from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, as well as a bachelor’s in health science from Boston University.

Melissa Erkens, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Center for Preparedness and Response, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist

Melissa supports coordination across CDC and with interagency partners around the implementation of national security strategies and public health preparedness and response efforts, including the National Biodefense Strategy and the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise. She earned a master’s degree in public health in epidemiology from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, and earned bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and German studies from Converse College.

Siobhan M. Eze, PhD

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Communication Specialist

Siobhan supports her office in communication activities that include developing, writing, and editing content for a variety of media and materials including fact sheets, articles, print and electronic newsletters, blast emails, and webpages. She collaborates with other communication teams throughout the CDC, and provides information technology support and program specific expertise agency wide. Siobhan earned her doctoral degree in kinesiology and exercise physiology from Georgia State University and her master’s degree in cell and molecular biology from Appalachian State University.

Christian Flanery, MBA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Acquisition Services, Office of Financial Resources, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Contract Specialist

Christian works in the CDC Office of Acquisition Services (OAS) drafting and monitoring contract actions. As a member of OAS’s International Team, he handles procurement of supplies and services for CDC’s overseas missions within the Center for Global Health (CGH). Christian earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science at Truman State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Benedictine College.

Catharine Haker, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: World Trade Center Health Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

As part of the Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation and World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Division, Catharine performs policy and data analysis, drafts programmatic regulations and legislative technical assistance, liaises with other governmental entities—such as the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor—and responds to briefing and data requests from OMB, HHS, and Congress. She earned a master’s degree in public health in program management and a certificate in maternal and child health from the Boston University School of Public Health.

Ryan Head, MPA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Grants Services, Office of Financial Services, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Ryan Head is a member of the Office of Grants Services’ Training and Communications team. In his current role, he analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of CDC’s grants processes, trains staff and grant recipients on CDC grants procedures, and manages various projects improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Office of Grants Services. He earned his master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Oberlin College.

Mica Jamison, MIS

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Fellowship Position: Management and Program Analyst

Mica serves as the Special Assistant to the Director of the National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (NCEH/ATSDR). To support CIO leadership, Mica develops presentations and talking points for the Director, manages linkages and relationships with a variety of external organizations, and communicates with key collaborators on matters of policy, public health research, and program activities. A lifelong Atlantan, Mica earned their Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in urban studies from Georgia State University and Bachelor of Science in international affairs from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Raymond Kao, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy and Issues Management

Raymond is a division-level policy analyst, serving as a liaison between external partners and Subject Matter Experts on diseases such as anthrax, rabies, and smallpox. He graduated with a Master of Arts in international affairs from UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy and a bachelor’s in international affairs from UC San Diego, focusing on politics, economics, and security in East Asia.

Mikael Kelly, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Strategic Business Initiatives Unit, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy and Issues Management

Mikael is a policy analyst in the Strategic Business Initiatives Unit within the Office of the Chief Operating Officer (OCOO). Mikael develops operational policy for CDC with a particular focus on the intersection of public health and national security issues. He works with experts and senior leadership from across CDC to develop solutions to complex or nuanced operational issues and ensure CDC complies with legal and regulatory requirements. He earned a master’s degree in nonproliferation and terrorism studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS).

Dylan Lang, JD, LCSW

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst Policy – Issues Management

Dylan serves on the Congressional Affairs team in the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID). He assists in managing interactions with Congress for the NCEZID portfolio. He works on responding to inquiries from the Hill, briefings for staff and Members, proactive outreach on NCEZID topics of interest, and technical assistance on draft legislation. He earned a Master of Social Work from Boston College and Juris Doctor degree from New England Law | Boston.

Mallory Lawrence, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Cybersecurity Program Office, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of the Chief Operating Officer
Fellowship Position: IT Specialist

Mallory works in Cybersecurity Program Office’s (CSPO) Policy Branch as an IT Specialist, providing support to the Policy Team which focuses on development and maintenance of security policies, standards, and practices across the CDC. He earned a Master of Science degree in cybersecurity management and policy from the University of Maryland and a Master of Arts degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University.

Sunny Liu, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Sunny supports the acquisition of services, equipment, and supplies for the Division of Global Health Protection. At her current position, she serves as a contract officer representative and provides support for division-wide contract management, inter-agency agreements, and liaisons between the Global Operations and Management Branch and other branches as well as country offices within the division. Sunny earned a master’s degree in global health from Johns Hopkins University, with a specialization in social-behavioral interventions and qualitative data analysis. She received academic honors from the University of California, Irvine, earning three bachelor’s degrees in public health, anthropology, and international studies, respectively. She has also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji Islands (2015-2017), Fulbright Scholar in Nigeria, and Boren African Flagship Language Initiatives Fellow in Tanzania.

Aisha Mahmood, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Strategy & Innovation, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Aisha supports strategic coordination and collaboration across a range of injury and violence topics, including suicide and overdose, as they relate to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). She earned her master’s degree in public health with a focus in health policy and management from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and her bachelor’s degree in political science from Emory University.

Aileen Maki, MPH, CHES

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Population Health, Applied Research and Translation Branch, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Aileen provides communication support for the Prevention Research Centers (PRC) Program. The PRC Program funds a network of 26 academic institutions across the country to conduct applied public health prevention research. Aileen leads the development and maintenance of the CDC’s PRC website and assists in the creation of PRC communication and dissemination products. She earned a master’s degree in public health in health promotion and education from the University of Cincinnati, a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Xavier University, and is a Certified Health Education Specialist.

Anna-Catherine McCrary, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst – Policy, Partnerships & Issues Management

Anna-Catherine analyzes and advises on public health policy issues impacting the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS) and its divisions. She also provides support to both congressional and partner engagements. Anna-Catherine earned her master’s degree in public health, with a focus in health policy and management, from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, and earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology from Davidson College.

Stuart Nichols, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy and Issues Management

Stuart serves as a Desk Officer in the Division of Global Health Protection (DGHP) and provides coordination and administrative support for several CDC country teams, including Sierra Leone, Indonesia, Haiti, South Korea, and Tanzania. As a part of DGHP, Stuart works with both Atlanta-based and country staff, scientific and technical experts, and international partners to carry out the division’s mission to strengthen global health security by building public health system capacity, advancing research, and improving emergency response to global health emergencies. He received a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and music from Furman University.

Joseph Patsch, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Management & Program Analyst

Joe supports CDC leadership through both internal and external agency activities in fields such as data modernization, laboratory services, communications, and emergency management & response. He performs process improvement through developing new methods, procedures, and workflows, engaging in partner outreach, and helping leadership develop short and long-term strategic goals. He earned his master’s degree in nonproliferation and terrorism studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, CA.

Richelle Ramey, MGPS

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Policy, Performance and Communication, Office of Financial Resources, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Richelle assists her team in providing policy coordination and collaboration across the Office of Financial Resources (OFR). She leads the coordination of Freedom of Information Act requests and develops and clears a weekly report of new funding opportunities across the agency. She earned a master’s degree in global policy studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the College of Charleston.

Prianca Reddi, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Division for Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

Prianca provides extramural and cooperative agreement support to various countries and projects in the Division for Global Health Protection. She works on supporting the award life cycle of cooperative agreements including developing new funding announcements, managing the merit review process, and coordinating extramural actions throughout award implementation. She earned a master’s degree in Health Systems from Johns Hopkins University at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Alexia E. Rodriguez, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst – Policy, Partnerships & Issues Management

Alexia helps set, evaluate and effectively communicate division policy, partnership, and recruitment priorities aimed at developing a more competent, sustainable, and empowered public health workforce. She coordinates proactive policy analysis, outreach, and responses to the White House, Department, Agency, Congress and the public to promote and improve the public health workforce. She supports division leadership on partnerships and projects relating to public health infrastructure development. She earned a master’s degree in public health with a focus in Epidemiology from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in ecology, evolution and behavior from the University of Minnesota.

Hanna Schurman, MPP

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Overdose Prevention, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy and Issues Management

Hanna supports the opioid, stimulant, and cannabis policy portfolios on the Policy, Planning and Partnerships team in the Division of Overdose Prevention. She performs in-depth research on the changing landscape of drug policy, tracks changes to state and federal legislation, and identifies policy opportunities and promising local projects to inform future changes to CDC guidance. She drafts legislative summaries for senior division leadership, corresponds with subject matter experts to fulfill outside inquiries, and acts as the branch liaison for the Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch within the division. She earned a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF).

Chelsea Slyker, PharmD, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Infectious Zoonotic Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst – Policy, Partnerships & Issues Management

Chelsea analyzes, evaluates, and interprets policy related to healthcare quality and assists with the development of communication materials for both internal and external audiences in the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. She also supports the COVID-19 response through deployments involving issues management, communication strategy, and content creation. She earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Colorado, a master’s degree in public health from the Colorado School of Public Health, and a bachelor’s degree in public management and policy from the University of Arizona.

Rachel Smith, MSW, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Policy and Partnership, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst Policy – Issues Management

Rachel serves on the Office of Policy and Partnerships Strategic Partnerships Team in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. As a public health analyst, her responsibilities include developing and strengthening relationships with external partners, building relationships with internal partners within CDC and HHS and using Human Centered Design to better understand and develop solutions related to the center’s priorities. She earned a Master of Public Health in sociomedical science from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, a Master of Science in social work from the Columbia School of Social work and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama and vocal performance from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Mackenzie Taylor, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Mackenzie serves on the Division of Violence Prevention’s Policy and Partnerships Team in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. As a public health analyst, her responsibilities include supporting activities to advance the work of the Division and Center; contributing to public health policy briefs and position statements on key issues; and participating in public health legislative analysis, issues management, policy research, and program evaluations. She earned a Master of Public Health in behavioral science and health education from Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a bachelor’s degree in public health from Taylor University.

Meagan Walters, MPP

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Planning, Budget, and Legislation, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy & Issues Management

Meagan supports the National Center for Health Statistics policy team by analyzing health data legislation, monitoring annual appropriations and supplementary budget initiatives, and coordinating the center’s Evidence Act implementation. She also facilitates engagement activities with congressional appropriators. Meagan earned a master’s degree in public policy from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia.

Andrea Zekis, MPS, MGIS, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Associate Director for Policy, Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Communications Specialist

Andrea assists the Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (CSTLTS) Policy Unit in scanning and analyzing legislation, policy, and public health issues to increase awareness and inform decision making. She reviews and clears materials, ensuring adherence to agency, federal policy and communication guidelines. Andrea represents the unit as policy liaison to the Office of Island Affairs and assists the Center’s COVID-19 response and health equity efforts. She has master’s degrees in public service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, geographic information systems from the University of Central Arkansas and broadcast journalism from Syracuse University.

Kellan Burrell, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Kellan analyzes, evaluates, and advises on emerging public health issues related to healthcare-associated infections and antibiotic resistance. He evaluates current response structures for detecting and characterizing outbreaks, implements improved program management strategies for the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) Antibiotic Laboratory Network (AR Lab Network) activities for nationwide coverage and surge capacity, and identifies priorities for applied research that meet DHQP and CDC objectives. He earned his master’s degree in public health with a focus in genetic and molecular epidemiology from the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health and earned bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and biology from Young Harris College.

Jade Chambers-Blair, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of State and Local Readiness, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst (Policy)

Jade assists her team in coordinating and analyzing policy and developing health communication products in regard to CDC’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative agreement. Jade earned a master’s degree in public health, with a concertation in behavioral sciences and health education, from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.

Elizabeth Hardister, MPH, MMSc

Fellowship Assignment: Division for Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

Elizabeth serves as a desk officer for the Division of Global Health Protection. She works with CDC staff and overseas support partner countries’ activities to advance global health security. She provides coordination, management, and operations support to country offices in Eurasia, Africa, and Central America. Elizabeth earned a master’s degree in public health in disaster management and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the University of Georgia. She received an academic honor for the class of 2018 from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. She also earned a master’s degree in management science in global affairs from Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Amy Hobson, MBA

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Management and Program Analyst

Amy provides financial management support, including budget planning, execution, and closeout, to the Division of Laboratory Sciences at CDC. She also contributes to other resource management and extramural activities such as contract and maintenance agreement management. She earned a master’s degree in business administration from Ball State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Kirsten Hogstad, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Policy & Issues Management Analyst

Kirsten documents congressional engagement opportunities related to global health and supports additional projects that assist in meeting office objectives. She earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology from the University of Washington.

Joshua Houston, MPA

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Acquisition Services, Office of Financial Resources, CDC
Fellowship Position: Contact Specialist

Josh supports CDC’s public health mission through the acquisition of products and services. He works with program offices to meet their acquisition requirements and is responsible for a variety of pre-award and post-award contract functions. He earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from George Washington University.

Lilit Kazazian, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist

Lilit provides technical assistance in applied public health research to strengthen public health systems in partner countries. She also promotes research and technical collaborations with other U.S. Government agencies and partner countries by coordinating surveillance and epidemiology trainings. She earned a master’s degree in global health from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and international studies from the University of Michigan.

Kathy Keys, MPP, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Legislation, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Kathy analyzes public health regulations, executive directives, and division policy issuances. She also supports the center’s Freedom of Information Act requests, Executive Secretary requests, and Government Accountability Office engagements. Kathy earned a master’s degrees in public policy and public health from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree in social work from Pacific Lutheran University.

Kristin Liu, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Communication, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Communications Specialist

Kristin supports her center in communication activities that include knowledge management and organization, website redesign and editing, and content and style rebranding. She earned a master’s degree in public health in behavioral science and health education from the Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in science in environmental health from the University of Washington.

Taylor Mann, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Deputy Director for Public Health Science and Surveillance, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Taylor supports agency leadership by working with internal and external CDC stakeholders on activities and projects related to public health data modernization. He performs legislative and policy analysis, develops short-term objectives and long-term strategic plans, conducts partnership engagement and outreach activities, and advises senior leaders to foster proactive and thorough decisions and actions. He earned his master’s degree in public health policy and management and his bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the University of Georgia.

Toby Merkt, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Toby analyzes geospatial factors to explore possible associations with maternal deaths; provides technical assistance to state Maternal Mortality Review Committees to improve data quality and timeliness; and synthesizes scientific literature for national audiences. Toby earned a master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

Leah Zilversmit Pao, PhD, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

Leah provides guidance on monitoring and evaluation of CDC-funded emergency response programming, manages relationships with partners and other federal agencies, and supports the Emergency Operations Center during outbreak responses. Leah received her doctoral degree in epidemiology from Tulane University, her master’s degree in public health in global health from Emory University, and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and history from the University of California, Davis.

Tiffany Pomares, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Financial Resources, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst (Policy)

Tiffany facilitates budget formulation and congressional interactions, drafts budget submissions, coordinates logistics support, and responds to congressional interests and inquiries. Tiffany also performs crosscutting activities such as environmental scanning, performance tracking, and analysis of appropriations legislation. She earned her master’s degree in public health in epidemiology from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and her bachelor’s degree in public health and psychology from the University of Miami.

Rio Schondelmeyer, MPA, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist (Policy)

Rio assists in carrying out policy, planning, and evaluation activities in the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. She assists in coordinating a federal advisory committee on lead exposure and prevention. She earned a master’s degree in public affairs and a master’s degree in environmental science from Indiana University Bloomington.

Nicolas Suarez, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Adolescent and School Health, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist

Nicolas evaluates school-based sexual health education programs and collaborates across the division with program officers and subject matter experts to provide high quality evaluation technical assistance to funding recipients. He earned a master’s degree in public health, health behavior and health education from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health.

Nicholas Tenorio, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Associate Director for Communications, Center for Global Health, CDC Fellowship Position: Health Communications Specialist

Nicholas communicates the activities and accomplishments of CDC’s global health programs. He also records visual imagery from the field. He earned his master’s degree in project management from the George Washington University.

Jessica Wiens, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor (Policy)

Jessica develops policy material, assists in issues management and risk mitigation, and manages internal and external requests. She primarily works with the Applied Research and Translation Branch, which includes Prevention Research Centers, Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging, Workplace Health Promotion, and Evaluation and Translation teams. Jessica earned a master’s degree in public health, health promotion from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Iris Wong, MPP

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Financial Resources, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst (Policy)

Iris coordinates with other Centers, Institutes, and Offices (CIO) to prepare for the annual CIO budget as well as congressional briefings. She also analyzes legislation, regulation, and policy issuances for budgetary impacts and maintains situational awareness of assigned CIOs. She earned a master’s degree in public policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from UC Berkeley.

Maeh Al-Shawaf, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Maeh assists in identifying and analyzing public health legislation, regulations, executive directives, departmental policy issuances, and other highly visible actions that may impact public health and the current activities, goals, and mission of OSH. She manages requests, both internally and externally, for information and CDC’s policy positions related to tobacco control. She earned a master’s degree in public health from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in Epidemiology.

Elizabeth Cassidy, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst (Policy)

Elizabeth collaborates with other CDC CIOs on opioid related topics; builds partnerships to facilitate a better understanding of the opioid overdose epidemic; and provides a more coordinated response. She earned a master’s degree in public health, health behavior from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology and Latin American studies from Rutgers University.

Gabrielle D’Angelo, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Global HIV and TB, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Gabrielle leads the division-wide communications effort and supports special projects to improve division operations. She earned a master’s degree in public health, global environmental health from Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences with a minor in Spanish from the University of Central Florida.

Christy Gaines, PhD

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Policy, Planning, and Partnerships, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Fellowship Position: Management and Program Analyst

Christy analyzes public health legislation, regulations, executive directives, departmental policy issuances, and other influential statements of policy. She applies CDC, department, and government wide evaluation efforts to program activities and assists in the measurement of program outcomes. She earned a doctoral degree in biochemistry from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Hannah Jarman-Miller, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Hannah promotes the control of vaccine preventable diseases domestically and globally to improve immunization within the United States. Her portfolio includes Healthy People 2030, emergency preparedness, and communication products for policy audiences. She earned a master’s degree in public health, health promotion from Oregon Health and Sciences University-Portland State University School of Public Health.

Archana Kumar, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

Archana earned a master’s degree in epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. As part of a thesis project, she worked with CDC’s poxvirus group to study behavioral and environmental factors contributing to the transmission of monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Sarah Lowry, MPA

Fellowship Assignment: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Sarah works across her center’s teams in multiple topic areas to develop policy materials, enhance partnership engagement, and coordinate efforts to communicate the center’s work and key priority topics. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Giridhar Mohan, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances Registry
Fellowship Position: Management & Program Analyst

Giridhar provides scientific support and assistance with policy, planning, and partnerships. He earned a master’s degree in public health from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Linde Parcels, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist (Policy)

Linde focuses on projects related to detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of environmental, tobacco-related, nutritional, newborn, selected chronic and infectious diseases, and chemical and radiologic threat agents. She earned a master’s degree in public health and health policy analysis from Washington University.

Shelby Rhee, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Shelby monitors the center’s budget during the federal appropriations process and collaborates with other CDC centers to highlight NCEZID’s investments in global health. She earned a master’s degree in public health, global health from the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in communication from Wheaton College.

Andrea Stewart, PhD

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Global HIV and TB, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Andrea coordinates calls with senior management staff in Atlanta and in field offices. She serves as the liaison with various offices within CDC Atlanta and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) to respond to operational and technical issues. Andrea develops agendas and presentations for high-level visitors; develops guidelines and standing operating procedures for management and operations processes; and participates in intra- or interagency working groups on a variety of operational and public health topics. She earned a doctoral degree in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and community health from Tufts University.

Morgan Thomas, MFA

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Communications Specialist

Morgan collaborates with a contracting company and an American Indian storyteller and illustrator to create two fictional books describing community protective factors that decrease the likelihood and negative effects of violence for a young American Indian and Alaska Native audience. She earned a master’s degree in fine arts, fiction writing from the University of Florida.

Justin Uhd, JD, MPA

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Justin conducts fiscal analysis to inform program planning and operations; studies grantee budgets to assess program design and management; provides technical assistance to project officers and managers on effective data use; and develops and implements the program update tool used to monitor grantee program management quarterly. He leads the development of performance measures for the Colorectal Cancer Control Program and an evaluation of the effectiveness and cost of community-clinical linkages for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. Justin earned a law degree from Southwestern Law School, a master’s degree in public administration from Georgia State University, and a bachelor’s degree in arts from the University of California, Los Angeles.

AdeSubomi (Subomi) Adeyemo, PharmD, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Global HIV and TB, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Subomi coordinates the division’s technical assistance needs; utilizes financial and performance data to support country teams in meeting financial targets based on the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); and focuses on areas of HIV testing, treatment, viral load suppression, and availability of resources needed for HIV programs. She earned a doctor of pharmacy degree and a master’s degree in public health epidemiology from the University of Georgia.

Adam Dwyer, JD

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Acquisition Services, Office of Financial Resources, CDC
Fellowship Position: Contact Specialist
Adam supports the creation and management of a number of agency wide acquisitions of products and services. His role focuses on acquiring information technology products and services for the agency in a time and cost effective manner. Adam also serves in a business advisor role with the support of a contracting officer to assist program offices in fulfilling their technical needs. He earned a law degree from Washington University School of Law in Saint Louis.

Grace Mandel, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Grace works on surveillance and electronic case reporting. She earned a master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College.

Jessie Marus, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist

Jessie investigates multistate outbreaks of infections caused by Listeria monocytogenes, an invasive foodborne bacterium that causes serious illness in older adults, immunocompromised persons, and pregnant women and their newborns. She earned a master’s degree in public health epidemiology from Georgia State University.

Madeline Schneider, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst (Policy)

Madeline engages in a wide array of activities, including project coordination, risk mitigation, issues management, partnership engagement, and research translation. She earned a master’s degree in public health, sociomedical sciences and sexual and reproductive health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Her thesis focused on the intersection of sex education and sexual violence prevention. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies from the University of Michigan.

Peter Suwondo, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Peter works closely with CDC staff to advise leadership on emerging global health issues, and also leads special initiatives in strategic planning and partnership development across CDC’s global portfolio. He earned a master’s degree in public health infectious disease epidemiology from Yale University, where he won the prize for best MPH thesis.

Matthew “Matt” Bridwell, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During his 2-year fellowship, Matt served as a liaison between CDC headquarters and DGHT overseas offices. In this role, he was responsible for strategic engagement, personnel management and logistics, communications, accountability, staffing augmentation, and situational analysis and response. Before joining DGHT, Matt worked as a global epidemiologist in CDC’s Division of Global Health Protection. While there, he analyzed data from an enhanced routine pregnancy outcome surveillance system in Haiti and managed a large dataset with over 25,000 observations from a Tanzanian refugee neonatal mortality study. Matt earned his master’s degree in public health, global epidemiology from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. He also earned a certificate in complex humanitarian emergencies and his bachelor’s degree in public health sciences from Clemson University.

Meagan Davis, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Epidemiology Workforce Branch, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Meagan served as program evaluator and project manager for the Epidemic Intelligence Service and other fellowships managed by EWB. Meagan started her career at the agency as a CDC Evaluation Fellow in 2014. Prior to joining CDC, Meagan worked as a high school science teacher through Teach for America and as a nonprofit program coordinator in North Carolina. Meagan earned her master’s degree in public health, health behavior and her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sabah Ghulamali, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Policy and Partnerships, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Sabah worked with various NCIPC teams to formulate the budget, develop policy materials, and coordinate efforts to communicate the center’s work and key priority topics. She also worked with the Opioid Response Coordinating Unit to develop a strategic plan that will guide CDC’s response to the opioid epidemic. She participated in a four-month rotational assignment with the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Sabah earned her master’s degree in public health from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.

Emily Hurwitz, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: World Trade Center Health Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Advisor

During her 2-year fellowship, Emily developed communication materials to raise awareness about the World Trade Center Health Program to various audiences. She also performed project management and data analysis tasks, and was involved in other special projects. She earned her master’s degree in behavioral and community health and her bachelor’s degree in family science from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Munmun Khan, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Policy, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Munmun participated in a four-month rotational assignment in the Office of Appropriations in CDC’s Office of Financial Resources working on Congressional relations, budget formulation, and strategy. She earned her master’s degree in public and global health and her bachelor’s degree in international studies, community action and social change from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She also earned a certificate in global health and served on the executive board of the Gates Millennium Scholars Alumni Association.

Taylor Kimbel, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Taylor was responsible for developing policy-focused communication products, including OPHPR’s Annual Preparedness Report. She also assisted with strategic planning and messaging for communicating with external stakeholders. She completed a four-month developmental assignment in CDC’s Community Guide Branch working with the Dissemination and Implementation Team. Prior to joining CDC, Taylor worked as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellow with the Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health in Washington, D.C., where she managed an office-wide evaluation contract and consulted on cross-site national evaluations. Taylor earned her master’s degree in public health from Tulane University.

Rachel Marine, PhD

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Biologist

During her 2-year fellowship, Rachel worked closely with the Advanced Molecular Detection team researching the application of next-generation sequencing for controlling viral diseases. She completed a four-month developmental assignment with the DVD Global Health Sciences team where she facilitated trainings in advanced molecular detection for laboratories in Ghana and India. Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Salisbury University. She received her doctoral degree in molecular biology and genetics from the University of Delaware.

Adaeze Ogee-Nwankwo, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Zika Coordination Office, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Pubic Health Advisor

During her 2-year fellowship, Adaeze managed a portfolio of 25 international Zika projects. Prior becoming a PMF, Adaeze worked as a health scientist and laboratory specialist in the Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Herpesviruses Laboratory Branch in CDC’s Division of Viral Diseases (DVD). In DVD, she worked to strengthen laboratory and surveillance capacity in resource-challenged countries in Africa and South-East Asia; trained international laboratorians and epidemiologists at WHO-sponsored workshops; and performed research in the areas of virology and immunology. Adaeze earned her master’s degree in public health and a certificate in human rights from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Kennesaw State University.

Mabel Padilla, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Mabel supported the Medical Monitoring Project’s (MMP) interview workgroup. She was responsible for activities surrounding the development, evaluation, and implementation of the MMP questionnaire in English and Spanish. Mabel earned her master’s degree in public health from Emory University and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Smith College.

Katherine Terrell, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Fiscal Resources Management Office, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Katherine (Katie), participated in a four-month rotational assignment with Congressional Research Service (CRS) in the Library of Congress. While at CRS, she researched and analyzed U.S. policies toward sub-Saharan African countries to contribute to CRS products. Katie earned her master’s degree in public and international affairs, human security from the University of Pittsburgh.

Kory Trott, JD, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During his 2-year fellowship, Kory primarily supported DUIP’s opioid overdose prevention activities. During CDC’s Zika Virus response, Kory worked in CDC’s Emergency Operations Center in the Zika Policy Unit providing responses to Congressional inquiries. Prior to coming to CDC, Kory worked as a staff reviewer for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Health Sciences Institutional Review Board. He earned his Juris doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and his master’s degree in public health, health policy and management from Drexel University.

Nickie Williams-Singleton, MPH, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Global HIV & TB, Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Nickie supported the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) activities in Kenya and Tanzania. She completed a four-month developmental assignment in the Influenza Division of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases where she helped coordinate a novel influenza workshop. Prior to joining CDC, she worked in the private sector in the engineering, medical devices, and quality assurance industries. Nickie earned her master’s degree in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; her master’s degree in science in engineering management from National Technological University; and a bachelor’s degree in science in biomedical and electrical engineering from Duke University.

Robert Blaney, MIT

Fellowship Assignment: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC
Fellowship Position: IT Specialist

During his 2-year fellowship, Robert undertook a rotational assignment in the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, where he served as Regional Chief Information Officer for the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Region from November 2016 to May 2017.

Lauren M. Cimineri, PharmD, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: World Trade Center Health Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Program Specialist

During her 2-year fellowship, Lauren was tasked with activities related to policy development, project management, quality assurance, and clinical work. She took a six-month rotational assignment at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations where she consulted on pharmacy-related fraud cases.

Melissa R. Cyril, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Policy and Partnerships, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Prior to her fellowship, Melissa worked at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in clinical research. She earned her master’s degree in public health from Georgia State University. During her studies, she spent a summer in Nicaragua teaching adolescent health education classes and aiding a community vegetable garden project with single women and mothers.

Heather L. Dennehy, MPP

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Policy and Partnerships, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Heather focused on developing a strategic partnership plan. She also served as an assistant risk manager on NCIPC’s enterprise risk management projects and was the NCIPC Office of the Director liaison to the Division of Violence Prevention’s Staff Engagement Workgroup. She completed an additional rotation at the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, a state education policy nonprofit organization. She earned her master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. Her thesis involved working with Pathfinder International to develop policy initiatives to expand reproductive health care in Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Katherine E. Doyle, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC
Fellowship Position: Epidemiologist

During her 2-year fellowship, Katherine worked on the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System. She also deployed to Guinea in 2015 for the Ebola response and to Puerto Rico for the agency’s Zika virus response in 2016. Before CDC, Kate worked at ICAP at Columbia University on HIV research and President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) implementation. She also worked at PATH on projects related to international tuberculosis care and treatment. She received her master’s degree in public health, epidemiology from Columbia University.

Marissa B. Esser, PhD, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Scientist

During her 2-year fellowship, Marissa led alcohol epidemiology studies, spearheaded the scientific update to the CDC Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) online application, and provided technical assistance to partners. Marissa earned her doctoral degree in behavioral sciences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and her master’s degree from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.

Erica Figueroa, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of Policy, Performance, and Communications, Office of Safety, Security, and Asset Management, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Erica worked to strengthen performance and partnerships activities. Erica served a 120-day deployment to Puerto Rico with the Zika Policy and Partnerships Team during the agency’s Zika virus response efforts. Erica received a master’s degree in public health from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.

Kristen M. Nichols Heitman, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging & Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC
Fellowship Position: Epidemiologist

During her 2-year fellowship, Kristen led the branch’s surveillance activities. She published a surveillance summary of ehrlichiosis in the United States from 2008-2012 and worked on a manuscript summarizing cases of Ehrlichia ewingii infection in the United States since 2000. Kristen earned her master’s degree in public health, epidemiology from Georgia State University.

Laura M. Mann, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Epidemiologist

Prior to CDC, Laura worked at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in chronic and infectious disease surveillance, epidemiology, and prevention. She worked with the Primary Care Information Project in the Cancer Prevention and Control Unit to evaluate and improve cancer data from public and private hospitals in New York City. She then worked in the Bureau of Communicable Disease, where she assisted with foodborne and enteric disease surveillance and outbreak investigations. Laura received her master’s degree in public health, epidemiology from Columbia University.

Eric O. Mensah, MD, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During his 2-year fellowship, Eric coordinated many field response efforts to combat the Ebola epidemic in Guinea. He also assisted the CDC deputy director of Management and Operation in Guinea and served as interim deputy director. Eric completed a four-month rotation at the Americas Office of the Office of Global Affairs where he acquired health diplomacy skills in global health. Eric earned his medical degree at The University of Lomé in Togo and his master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Vanessa Michener, MS, MBA

Fellowship Assignment: Mass Media Team, Prevention Communication Branch, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC
Fellowship Position: Health Communication Specialist

During her 2-year fellowship, Vanessa led the strategic direction and implementation of two social marketing campaigns that aimed to reduce the incidence of HIV and its associated stigma. Vanessa earned her master’s degree in management with a specialization in marketing and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland University College.

Francesca Mucciaccio, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Prior to her fellowship, Francesca worked in policy and program management in the NCCDPHP, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and was a public health ethics intern in the CDC Office of the Director, Office of the Associate Director for Science. Francesca earned her master’s degree in public health, health policy and behavioral science from Emory University.

Victoria I. Phifer, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Policy Office, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Victoria completed rotational assignments in CDC’s Office of the Associate Director for Policy and at a nonprofit affordable housing organization, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. Victoria earned her master’s degree in public health, health policy from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.

Nathan M. Schuerch, MA

Fellowship Assignment: Population Health Workforce Branch, Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Management and Program Analyst

During his 2-year fellowship, Nathan was involved in the branch’s budget, planning, and implementation activities. Nathan earned his master’s degree in international affairs from the American University School of International Affairs.

Maria Colopy Strickland, MPH

Fellowship Assignment: Office of the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Assistant to the Chief of Staff

During her 2-year fellowship, Maria completed a six-month rotation to the United States Agency for International Development in the Office of Population and Reproductive Health. While there, Maria was a policy and technical advisor for the Health Policy Plus project and traveled to Malawi for a project oversight trip. She also volunteered for a 45-day detail to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to serve on the Policy and Partnership Team during CDC’s Zika response. She earned a master’s degree in public health from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and a certificate in maternal and child health.

Jen January Therrien, MSFS

Fellowship Assignment: Policy Office, Center for Global Health
Fellowship Position: Health Policy/Issues Management Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Jen served a rotation at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation as a foreign affairs officer. She earned her master’s degree in science and foreign from Georgetown University.

Jared Tolbert, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Population Health Workforce Branch, Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

Jared earned his master’s degree in biology/human evolution from Georgia College & State University. While there, he organized many town hall meetings to address the racial disparities in the city of Milledgeville, Georgia.

Ifeyinwa (Ify) E. Udo, DrPH, MS

Fellowship Assignment: Center for Global Health, CDC
Fellowship Position: Public Health Analyst

During her 2-year fellowship, Ify provided technical assistance to strengthen health systems across six countries in Africa and Asia. She was the project officer for the Africa CDC and co-led efforts to develop a standardized benchmarking tool to help countries establish and track progress of national public health institutes across the African continent. Ify earned her doctoral degree in public health, epidemiology from Morgan State University and her master’s degree in psychology.