The incoming M.P.H class of 2019 is the largest in the school’s history. The 228 students came from across the United States and around the globe to study and work with leading researchers at the Yale School of Public Health.
And the student body is as diverse as it is large, with backgrounds in medicine, law and business along with many students who recently received their undergraduate diplomas.
Their ambitions in public health also run the gamut. Members of the incoming class want to do research on HIV/AIDS, prevent diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, improve health outcomes for the LGBT community and tackle health problems related to stigma.
“This class is the first to enter since I started at YSPH,” said Dean Sten Vermund. “Our partnership will be one of mutual education, because I will solicit students’ continuous feedback on what is working well and not so well. This class is the future of public health and I could not be more excited and optimistic about their potential. They bring a passion and commitment to public health that inspires and revitalizes the faculty and staff.”
Many factors drew the students to the Yale School of Public Health. Some were attracted by the school’s optimal size that fosters close working relationships with faculty, the school’s rich history, its emphasis on evidence-based research, among a host of other reasons.
“The genuine care between students, professors and staff is palpable, and I'm excited to be a part of this community,” one incoming student said.
Profiles on nine new M.P.H. students follow below:
Di Yi "Jessica" He
Guangzhou, China, grew up in Connecticut and Massachusetts
What is your career goal?
To find and lose myself in a career as dynamic as my Peace Corps service—but with greater autonomy.
Why did you choose the Yale School of Public Health?
YSPH's sterling reputation of a close-knit and small-sized cohort drew me in most. I felt like the atmosphere was conducive to helping each other grow, rather than competing. The genuine care between students, professors and staff is palpable, and I'm excited to be a part of this community for the next couple of years (I'm a joint degree student with the School of Nursing).
What has been your favorite thing about New Haven so far?
There's always something new to discover and explore.
Kamran Javadi
Iran, grew up in North Carolina
What is your career goal?
Currently I am interested in the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Particularly HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and parasites. I hope to one day work with high risk patients while combating the spread of these diseases on a large population scale.
Why did you choose the Yale School of Public Health?
YSPH has been around for long enough to establish a respectable reputation and prove that it prepares its graduates for a wide range of careers. Yale’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS will be a great resource to me as I begin to delve into causes and prevention of HIV. Additionally, the heavy focus on a research based approach to public health will allow me to stay on top of current research as a practicing physician assistant.
What has been your favorite thing about New Haven so far?
I live in East Rock and love the sense of a small community. Not to mention some of the best pizza is a block away. Shout out to One 6 Three pizza. With Yale playing such a large role in the community there is always something going on to keep students entertained.
South Euclid, Ohio
What is your career goal?
Conducting public health research in HIV/AIDS and opportunistic infections or Investigating the use of microcodes in HIV/AIDS and other STIs.
Why did you choose the Yale School of Public Health?
The heavy emphasis on public health research and evidence-based methods. Yale was also one of the few programs that has a microbial disease specific epidemiology program. It’s also Yale.
What has been your favorite thing about New Haven so far?
Shake Shack. They make the best burger I’ve ever had.
Cade McGovern
Houston, Texas
What is your career goal?
I wish to improve the way that health care is delivered and the way that health care interventionism is carried out. I hope to use my degree to advise and manage projects and organizations to overcome sociocultural barriers preventing effective health care delivery.
Why did you choose the Yale School of Public Health?
One of the main reasons I chose YSPH was for the community and relationships between the faculty and students. During my application and decision process, everyone I came into contact with from YSPH was incredibly friendly, helpful, and respectful. The administrative staff was there to answer every question I had, every student I met was always willing to chat and share their experiences, and the professors and faculty were consistently available to talk to me about their work as well as my personal and professional goals. Around every corner, there is something Yale is doing to help their students succeed that other programs can’t compete with.
What has been your favorite thing about New Haven so far?
The weather is great and campus is beautiful, but it’s hard to beat walking around town and trying a different pizza joint every day. Definitely looking forward to football at the Yale Bowl though.
Saline, Michigan
What is your career goal?
Working at the Global Health division of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa.
Why did you choose the Yale School of Public Health?
I chose YSPH because of the sense of community that was evident among the student population. Additionally, the size of the student/faculty ratio was attractive to me because I went to a very large school for undergrad and wanted that attention so that I could narrow my academic focus. I also wanted a change of scenery from Michigan where I have lived my whole life.
What has been your favorite thing about New Haven so far?
I love the ease with which one can travel around the east coast. I was able to go to NYC with my mom the first weekend we got here. I also love the architecture on campus—it is simply breathtaking.
China
What is your career goal?
I haven't fully decided yet. Maybe something related to early cancer prevention and diagnosis.
Why did you choose the Yale School of Public Health?
I love to be in other countries. Yale is a famous school for medicine and public health and I think I will have good experiences here. Besides, I like smaller classes.
What has been your favorite thing about New Haven so far?
I love the climate so far. People here are really nice.
Syracuse, New York
What is your career goal?
With the intention of applying to medical school, I hope to eventually marry the practice of public health research and clinical medicine, specifically focusing on how stigmas serve as upstream determinants of health. In spite of these social influences, I want to be better equipped to design and implement preventative efforts in order to reduce the number of visits to the emergency department.
Why did you choose the Yale School of Public Health?
In my search for public health programs, I wanted to find a curriculum embedded within the context of social justice. I was compelled by YSPH's approach toward addressing public health disparities; it placed a greater importance on some of these larger social systems of oppression that often go overlooked when treating the health of populations. What sealed the deal was the opportunity to apply these topics within the classroom into the real world during the internship component of the program.
What has been your favorite thing about New Haven so far?
So far, I've loved how New Haven balances being a small city with endless pizza options as well as having incredible parks with so many hiking trails! Should you want to, you can be surrounded in social spaces enjoying shops and restaurants while moments later completely immersing yourself in nature and connecting with yourself.
Hillsborough, New Jersey
What is your career goal?
My career goal is to work in HIV, STD, and Hepatitis C surveillance, epidemiology, and prevention for a state or federal health agency, such as the Centers for Disease Control.
Why did you choose the Yale School of Public Health?
I chose YSPH because for a couple of reasons. I was attracted to the small class size as I came from a smaller undergraduate college. One thing I really enjoyed about having a small class size was being able to get to know my professors and fellow students, and YSPH is able to facilitate that. Additionally, I found that there were several professors whose research interests that aligned with mine, and I was excited about getting to participate, even in a small way to research that mattered to me.
What has been your favorite thing about New Haven so far?
My favorite thing about New Haven so far is that it has all the amenities of a large city in a small city environment. Anything I could want or need is only a short bus ride or walk away. Its size creates an effective environment for fostering community in a way that all big cities have.
Providence, Rhode Island
What is your career goal?
My career goal is to use quantitative epidemiological studies to help identify and ameliorate health disparities within LGBTQ populations. I particularly hope to engage in research/interventions around the transmission and treatment of sexual transmitted infections amongst cisgender and transgender MSM.
Why did you choose the Yale School of Public Health?
I chose the Yale School of Public Health because it was the only public health academic institution in the country that allowed me to combine my interests in epidemiology, infectious diseases, healthy inequity within sexual orientation and gender identity minorities, and global health. All of the other schools limited my opportunities to one or two of my passions. Moreover, the smaller class size at YSPH allows me to create personal relationships with faculty and classmates and provides me with a wide array of opportunities for networking and mentorship.
What has been your favorite thing about New Haven so far?
My favorite thing about New Haven has been the very extensive list of options for pizza. Whether its Brick Oven Pizza, Pepe's, or Bar you're always guaranteed a satisfying meal you can share with your new friends.