Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management

Why did you choose graduate school at IUPUI?

The Health Policy and Management program at IUPUI is very strong and supportive. The faculty are amazing and well-rounded in their teaching, publishing, and grant writing capabilities. It was important for me to have the opportunity to “rub elbows” and learn from these successful researchers.

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

Honestly, passing my qualifying exam felt pretty incredible! But ultimately, I would have to say that having a first-author paper accepted in the highest impact journal in dentistry (the Journal of Dental Research) was one of my proudest moments. I was also honored to be named one of IUPUI’s Premier 10 graduate students in 2020.

What do you enjoy most about life in Indianapolis?

I think the city of Indianapolis is just the right size – not too big to become overwhelming and cause traffic to become crazy. You can find everything you need here and people are very friendly. Getting downtown, to campus, and to the airport is relatively easy.

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

My research has been primarily focused on health services research, and in particular, dental care. I am interested in the oral-systemic health link, medical and dental data integration, and oral health disparities. My dissertation work will be focused on factors and outcomes associated with Medicaid-enrolled adults’ use of dental care.