Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management

Why did you choose graduate school at IUPUI?

I was born and raised in Indiana, so I grew up hearing about Indiana University and Purdue University from friends and family all the time. This made choosing IUPUI an easy decision for me. As soon as I found out about the PhD program in Health Policy and Management, I knew I wanted to come here.

What has been your favorite academic accomplishment since you’ve been here?

I had the opportunity to collaborate with my mentor, Dr. Valerie Yeager, on a first-authored manuscript examining community engagement in Community Health Needs Assessments conducted by nonprofit hospitals. Our work was accepted for a podium presentation at AcademyHealth, the premier national conference in health services research. I was also awarded a Travel Fellowship to attend the conference, which was held in Washington, DC.

What do you enjoy most about life in Indianapolis?

I love living in Indy. There are so many places to visit and lots of local restaurants to try. One of the unique things about Indy is that you can live in a location where you have quick access to all of the businesses downtown, while also being within a relatively short driving distance of places to connect with nature, like Eagle Creek Park.

Please provide some details about your work/research as a graduate student and/or any activities you are involved in.

My research focuses on public health systems and behavioral health services. I’ve had opportunities to collaborate closely with several faculty members in my department on a variety of different research projects. One of my favorite things about the projects I work on is that many of them involve community partners. I get to spend a lot of time engaging with local organizations in the community and helping them evaluate public health initiatives, which makes my work feel very meaningful. I also serve as the President of the AcademyHealth Student Chapter, which offers students interested in health services or health policy research opportunities for networking and professional development.