Category: Public Health

Hannah Hampson, a sophomore studying in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, joined researchers from the College of Pharmacy for a snapshot study, “Adult Immunization Needs and Perceptions Among Patients at a Free Medical Clinic in Indianapolis,” to see if there was a need for immunizations among clinic patients.

While breast cancer and colon cancer screenings have become commonplace throughout the years, lung cancer screenings have continued to remain low, with only 18.7% of eligible people in the U.S. getting screened, according to 2025 data from the American Cancer Society.

Pianpian Cao, assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, is looking for screening methods to reduce lung cancer mortality while also investigating interventions to reduce overall lung cancer incidence.  

As a former president of the American School Health Association, Solari Williams was interviewed by National Public Radio and other national media outlets regarding the test. Her three one-year terms as president before her 2024 move to Purdue as well as her decades of research on fitness in schools has made her an expert on the test and its potential effects on today’s K-12 students.

Autumn Reynolds, a Purdue University Department of Public Health Master of Public Health student in the 4+1 program has always found ways to merge her interest in health with her passion for working with children. When she encountered the opportunity to join the Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) as an interviewer for Operation Military Experience — a national study that aims to capture the experiences of families who have undergone parental deployment — she found a way to connect these interests with her own personal experience growing up in a military family.

Natalia M. Rodriguez, associate professor in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, received the 2025 American Public Health Association Ayman El-Mohandes Young Professional Public Health Innovation Award for her years of successful development and implementation of innovative health technologies, such as rapid diagnostic tests and patient self-sampling tools, to reduce cancer disparities among underserved populations. 

For Troy Goss, an online Master of Public Health student in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, nearly everything can be connected to public health — from economics to housing and beyond.

Recently published in UAID’s Journal of Health Equity, Goss has put that idea into practice, exploring an actionable intervention for helping diabetic individuals experiencing homelessness to manage their chronic disease.

From cigarettes and cigars to chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes and vape pens, the tobacco industry is constantly evolving to lure in new users. Meanwhile, tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.

Cervical cancer is deadliest among lower-income countries and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Kenya, according to 2024 data from the World Economic Forum. This is a public health issue six Purdue University students were ready to tackle at last month’s Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition. 

From West Africa to Southeast Asia to the United States, Prudence Mbah, a graduate student in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, is dedicated to improving health outcomes wherever she goes. By pursuing her Master of Public Health in the College of Health and Human Sciences and her PhD in health communication through the College of Liberal Arts, Mbah is setting herself on a path to improve health messaging and implement programs where they are needed through global research. 

Black populations have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the United States, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Studying within a state with a generally high maternal mortality rate, Joann Fafowora, a Master of Public Health (MPH) and PhD student in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, wants to better understand the stories behind this statistic.  

Randy Hubach, professor and head of the Purdue University Department of Public Health, is part of the study “A Triad Approach Towards Improved Diagnostics for Maternal and Congenital Syphilis.” He and his team were awarded about $500,000 of the $2.4 million for this work.

From changes in legislation to political debates, abortion and reproductive rights have been a central issue explored in the media in recent years. The issue is often discussed in two camps: those who support abortion rights, who are often labeled as “pro-choice” in many political contexts, and those who are against abortion, who are often labeled as “pro-life.”

A study led by Alexandra Hughes-Wegner, a May 2024 Master of Public Health graduate, found a striking number of Indiana salon workers — estheticians, massage therapists, nail technicians, barbers and hair stylists — have come into contact with people who were victims of sex trafficking and intimate partner violence during appointments.

The Purdue Center for Rural and Migrant Health debuted in 2023 and is looking to grow in 2024. Already, it received a $2.4 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the center’s Community Health Workers Training Program at Purdue. The center will hold its first in-person event with a fall symposium on Purdue campus.

According to HIV.gov, Black individuals accounted for 40% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2021 while only accounting for 14% of the overall population. Carlos Mahaffey, assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, said these disparities are further exacerbated when breaking down that segment, noting that Black men who have sex with men experience particularly high rates of HIV occurrence, which has been especially apparent in the South and Midwest regions of the United States.

Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences faculty and staff were asked to give their top tips for healthy bodies, minds and bank accounts. These new habits will ensure a good year and beyond.

Health care professional Kendra Lenth was working 12-hour shifts as an emergency room financial services coordinator when she started thinking about going back to school. Though she enjoyed her job, she wanted to move up the ladder and take on more responsibilities. But all the new opportunities she was interested in had a condition she couldn’t yet meet: They required a master’s degree.  

Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences has announced Randolph (Randy) Hubach as the next head of the Department of Public Health (PUBH), effective Jan. 1, 2024.

Named the Purdue University Department of Public Health’s Graduate Student of the Year in 2022, Karrah Teruya’s journey from receiving a life-changing cancer diagnosis to becoming a Master of Health Administration (MHA) candidate inspired her professors and graduate cohort alike. Now that she’s finished the program and walked across the graduation stage, Teruya is celebrating her accomplishment.

Cody Mullen, clinical associate professor in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, sees AI’s implementation into hospitals and clinics as a collaborative and useful tool that shouldn’t come at the cost of human jobs.

From the moment online Purdue Master of Health Administration graduate Suesan Coleman was born, military life was baked into her DNA. Her dad served in the U.S. Army for 24 years. When Coleman was a child, her family moved around constantly in support of her dad’s career. During her military childhood, Coleman developed a deep appreciation for the sacrifices service members make for their country, and the sacrifices their families make for them.

Alumna Nick Cochran (’21) penned a grant proposal and business plan for the Lafayette National Alliance of Mental Illness facility. A year later, the agency earned a $1.28 million Community Catalyst Grant.

Savannah O’Malley’s work has impact in nutrition, public health and agriculture because it looks at the sources of food in African regions, both rural and urban.

Natalia Rodriguez, assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, has been selected as a 2023 NIH (National Institutes of Health) Director’s New Innovator Award recipient.

From the Hispanic community in Lake County, Indiana, to individuals experiencing homelessness in Greater Lafayette, Natalia Rodriguez, assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, is working to advance health equity in communities throughout Indiana. By taking a community-based approach to increase access to preventive care and develop health technologies that detect disease early, Rodriguez’s research focuses on reducing cervical cancer rates among these vulnerable populations.

Three times a year, a new wave of Purdue University graduates celebrate their accomplishments as they receive their hard-earned degrees. College of Health and Human Sciences students Sameeta Chunara and Madelynn Parrott are no exception.

From the Dolomite Mountains to the famous Trevi Fountain, Purdue University Department of Public Health student Sophie Shank has immersed herself in Italian culture as part of the College of Health and Human Sciences’ seven-week study abroad program “Investigating Women’s Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues in Florence, Italy.” Led by Andrea DeMaria, associate professor of public health, the program explores topics in maternal and sexual health in Florence, Italy, through an intensive research project.

Graduate student Lauren Murfree has a love of community building, advocacy and research. So, when she was presented with the opportunity to pair her anthropology master’s degree with a Master of Public Health degree from Purdue University’s Department of Public Health, she took it. Murfree further tied her passions together with a PhD in science communication from the College of Agriculture in efforts to help communities through horizontal engagement, or engaging on an equal level with community members.

Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) has offered me a plethora of resources to help me reach my goals, and my peers, advisors and professors have helped shape me into the person I am today.

College of Health and Human Sciences graduate student James Young II was less than a week from death when he walked into a Detroit, Michigan, emergency room in September 2011 and received a series of substantial diagnoses: heart failure; cardiomyopathy, which reduces the heart’s ability to pump blood; enlargement of the heart; kidney disease; and diabetes.

When Nina Fowler began her undergraduate internship at Legal Aid Corporation of Tippecanoe County, she never dreamed she would write a grant proposal to the Indiana Bar Foundation to fund a major project in Tippecanoe County nor that her internship would lead to a full-time job upon graduation.

The United States’ healthcare system has gone through massive changes in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic made it clear healthcare is a dynamic industry where growth is necessary for success. Purdue University’s online Master of Health Administration (MHA) program prepares students to excel in this evolving field by providing practical, market-driven skills training that translates to the real world.

Assistant Professor Laura Schwab Reese’s most recent projects examine domestic violence and intimate partner violence. Much of the work focuses on the maltreatment of children wrapped up in domestic violence.

The data collected from surveys and interviews with the families has the potential to inform programs that service the children and their families in Indiana.

As an undergraduate majoring in chemistry at Purdue University, Jennifer Escobedo never imaged she would become a dual-degree graduate student, earning a master’s degree and PhD in Purdue’s Department of Public Health within the College of Health and Human Sciences.

When Karrah Teruya started college, she wanted to learn more about the healthcare field, ultimately choosing an undergraduate major in public health. After graduation, Teruya’s interests shifted away from healthcare. Her long-held zeal for food and wine motivated her to move into the restaurant industry, where she worked for several years as a sommelier and wine consultant. Teruya’s career in wine was the ultimate passion project; a job she genuinely enjoyed with good future prospects. Going back to school for another degree was the furthest thing from her mind, let alone being honored as Graduate Student of the Year from Purdue University’s Department of Public Health.

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HHS study abroad returned in May. Dozens of students took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about their program while immersing themselves in new cultures.

To give professionals who are interested in healthcare an opportunity to develop valuable skills in business, management and quality improvement in healthcare delivery, Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences is offering two new online graduate certificates in healthcare operations management and healthcare quality improvement.

As it meets the evolving needs of healthcare, Purdue University’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) program was recently named one of the best online master’s degree programs in health administration by OnlineMastersDegrees.org (OMD), earning the No. 3 spot on the list.

From stress relief to informing their studies, Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences students have choreographed dance into their busy college careers.

Qinglan Ding, assistant professor in the School of Nursing, has instructed cohorts of young Data Mine researchers, many of whom live together in Hillenbrand Hall and work together on projects that have a public health focus.

Stewart Chang Alexander and Randolph Hubach, associate professors in Purdue University’s Department of Public Health, are working to improve healthcare quality and access to reduce health disparities for sexual and gender minority populations. Aligning with HHS’ Developmental Health and Wellness and Healthy Lifestyles and Vital Longevity signature research areas, their work aims to improve outcomes for LGBTQ adolescents who are establishing their relationship with healthcare as well as foster inclusive, supportive healthcare across the life span in both rural and urban communities.

With the fresh memory of Annie Drews and the rest of Team USA Volleyball’s Olympic championship, Purdue volleyball is off to a historic start, earning its highest NCAA ranking in program history at No. 6. The team also has its largest roster ever with 21 student-athletes, 13 of which are Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences majors.

Although Public Health is the newest department in the College of Health and Human Sciences, its history goes back to its original home in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, where the program offered a bachelor’s degree option as well as a master’s degree option, beginning in 2006.

For many Purdue HHS alumni PAs, the profession’s flexibility to continue learning and help a variety of patients are especially appealing, and HHS opens the door to many interest areas that lead to PA school, including health and kinesiology, nutrition science, health sciences, public health and more.

As a first-year student in HHS, Chelsea Hayes never imagined that she’d become the CEO of a company. All she knew was she wanted to help people.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced sweeping changes on numerous industries, healthcare not the least among them. This has changed the job outlook, creating a larger demand for skilled healthcare administrators.

Andrea DeMaria, assistant professor of Public Health, was selected as a 2019 winner of 120 Under 40: The New Generation of Family Planning Leaders, an initiative by the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health.

Dr. Andrea DeMaria from Purdue’s Public Health Graduate Program published findings on menstruation to expose a “culture of silence,” as well as myths, misconceptions, and fear-mongering surrounding periods.

Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana state health commissioner, is the keynote speaker for Breaking Barriers: Improving Access to Health Services for Women and Children in Indiana, a women’s health symposium at Purdue University on April 22.