Scholars

Get to know a few of Pitt Public Health’s current scholars:

Meet Zoe Kauffman (MHA '19), Gideon Scholar

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Zoe Kaufman (MHA '19), a Connecticut native, has recently moved to New York City to begin her career in health administration. She currently serves as a data analyst at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Immediately prior to the move, she received her Master of Health Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019. While at Pitt, she served as the Pitt Public Health Alumni Relations Committee representative and was active in the Pi... 

Meet Emily Joseph (MHA '20), Gideon Scholar

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"The Dawn Gideon Foundation has done a lot of work to expose the scholars to people who knew Dawn Gideon and it's been really wonderful to hear about her impact on their lives, whether they've been people that she's personally mentored or just her close friends...It's been wonderful to get to know them and I feel like her life has really been carried on not only in the award for other motivated women who want to go into health care administratio... 

Meet joint-degree student Alyssa Amendola (BCHS/GSPIA), Coverdell Fellow

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The Peace Corps showed Alyssa Amendola that she wanted to pursue public health. She chose Pitt because of our focus on global health, eclectic research interests, and strong faculty. Her time in the Peace Corps also helped prepare her for graduate school. "I gained a new perspective that I would not have otherwise [and] I am getting more out of my graduate experience than I would have if I had not volunteered with the Peace Corps."   

Meet joint-degree student Laurenia Mangum (BCHS/SocWk), Coverdell Fellow

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Laurenia Mangum worked within the children, youth, and family sector in the Philippines while in the Peace Corps. “The BCHS program compliments my social work background and serves as a great transition from the Peace Corps. It meets my needs without compartmentalizing the studies into one particular focus…but rather provides the opportunity for the student to customize his or her own studies.”  

Meet Alexa Meinhardt (EPI '19), Dean's Scholar

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"I love that public health is a perfect blend of science and humanity," says Alexa Meinhardt (EPI '19). "Public health touches literally everything in our daily lives--from the fluoride in our water, to the seatbelts in our cars, to the after-school programs for children, to insurance coverage, and so much more," she says. "I love knowing that my work is interdisciplinary and requires collaboration with many different people."  

Meet Kelsey Simon (IDM '20), Dean's Scholar

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With a keen interest in biology and medicine since childhood, Kelsey Simon (IDM '20) planned to pursue a graduate degree in the hard sciences until a course requirement got her thinking about working at a population level. "I … really wanted a career where I could put all of these things together: biology, working with people, social/ethics, global health. An MPH combined all of these interests perfectly."  

Meet Molly Shiflet (HPM '19), Hershey Scholarship Awardee

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“From a very young age I knew I wanted to pursue a career in service and helping others, says Molly Shiflet. “The field of public health seemed like a perfect fit.” When the time came to look at graduate schools, Shiflet says she immediately was drawn to Pitt Public Health for its strong national reputation and “seemingly endless” opportunities for students.  

Meet Manasa Pallapolu (MHA '19), Hershey Scholarship Awardee

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Manasa Pallapolu discovered she had an interest in health care administration while on the pre-med path at Drexel University. After graduation, the Fairfax, Va., native worked as the head of medical billing at a psychiatric office, where she was exposed to “a completely different side of health care.” She decided to return to school to pursue a Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree. 

Meet Kristina Boyd (BIOS '19), Dean's Scholar

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After landing a research position at the Massachusetts General Hospital Biostatistics Center, Kristina Boyd was encouraged to pursue public heath as a career. In addition to serving as a research assistant in the UPMC Department of Emergency Medicine, she is a wife and mother to a 2-year-old. Though balancing motherhood and graduate school can be difficult, she wants people to know that "it is possible and it is so worth it."  

Meet Chandler Caufield (HPM '20), Dean's Scholar

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Pittsburgh native and MHA/MBA student CHANDLER CAUFIELD (HPM ’20) was familiar with the city’s burgeoning medical sector buoyed by world-class hospitals and universities; however, it wasn’t until she worked in the industry that she discovered health care was the field for her. "Eventually, I landed on health care administration because it seemed like the perfect intersection of my interests and skills as well as my passion for improving the pati... 

Support Scholarships

Even small contributions can really add up when supporting scholarships at Pitt Public Health. Give online or contact the school's development team by email or phone (412-624-5639) to discuss how you can help make a difference.

As featured in print

You may have noticed this story in the Winter 2018 issue (PDF) of the Pitt Public Health alumni magazine.

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Find back issues of many school publications online or email to request a printed copy.

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