Meet Our Students & Alumni

Looking back, Jessica Saad doesn’t take for granted how much UMass Lowell —and community health especially— helped prepare her for life outside of college.

Lawreta Kankam is passionate about public health. She plans to go on to medical school so she can provide both care and preventive health programs for underserved groups.

Tara Lynch's experience during her undergraduate psychology program practicum working with a community agency to improve outcomes for rape survivors led her to pursue a Master of Public Health.

Kelsey Gonzalez cares for asylum seekers as program manager for Global Disaster Response and Humanitarian Action at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Global Health.

Toni Laracuente credits the Health Information Management program with helping her land a job before graduation.

Andrew Farkas, chief operating officer at Boston MedFlight, returned to college after 35 years to complete his M.S. in health informatics, with a specialization in management.

For Nery Rodriguez, public health is the perfect major to combine science with helping people and communities.

As a well-being coach, Angeline Castillo reaches out to other health sciences students to ease their stress.

A practicum in infection prevention at a hospital prepared Abdul Hameed for a job with the CDC, preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus in hospitals and other health-care facilities.

Sandra Ocampo switched her career from investment management to dietetics.

Knowing how cultural differences make an impact on health, Rabia Haider is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree.

Daniel Howell spent several years addressing the opioid epidemic in Lowell. Now, he’s working on a pandemic: COVID-19.

Thanks to UMass Lowell, Hillard says she's found true satisfaction and happiness in her career and in herself.

Mindasari Daniar's upbringing in Indonesia inspired her to study nutrition. She now works at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and is pursing her Master of Public Health degree.

Stacey Nwachukwu is helping communities and influencing policy at the Statehouse.

Iffat Farah works as a community workforce program coordinator for the Lowell Community Health Center.

Shannon Gray started earning her master's degree in Public Health with a focus on epidemiology as an undergraduate. Her internship with the Uxbridge Board of Health broadened her exposure to the role public health professionals play and strengthened her skills.

Annie Soup Koagne is getting everything she can out of UMass Lowell, while working to make it a better place.

For her practicum course experience, Alytah Noum was hired by the Lowell Community Health Center as a community health worker.

Once Michelle Palladino started taking courses in nutrition as an undergraduate, she knew right away that she wanted a career in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

Majoring in Public Health helped Ashley Ventrillo turn her passion for women's rights into a career.

Kate Killion came to UML because it’s the only university in New England that offers a dietetics degree with a public health perspective.

Nicole Haas always knew she wanted a career helping people. The Master of Public Health major landed an internship with the Revive Recovery Center and is taking on one of the most challenging public health crises of the last 20 years: the opioid epidemic.

EJ Judge received his Master of Public Health degree during the pandemic, which provided real-world opportunities to learn what epidemiology is all about.

Kyle Mehan began researching nutrition when trying to heal his own injuries. Now he promotes a plant-based diet.

Suparlan Lingga ’17 came to UMass Lowell to further his education in public health. Now he coordinates the Indonesian government’s work with UNICEF to improve child and maternal health, education and safety.

Stefany Campbell was hired by Comprehensive Environmental Inc, a civil engineering and environmental consulting firm, before she graduates.

As a dual major in public health and political science, Anthony Milisci leads a student club that promotes organ donation, and he also serves on the Student Government Association.

The River Hawk Scholars Academy, a support program for first-generation college students, gave Monica Kong the confidence she needed to succeed – and lead.

Cassie Harding’s internship experiences as a public health student inspired her to tackle the big health and wellness challenges facing people in the cities and towns around her.

Haylee Dussault was a part of the first class of students in the Master of Public Heath Dietetics program. Shortly after graduation, she passed the registered dietitian exam and landed her dream job.

Her master’s degree in public health and research experiences helped Chandni Shahdev get a job with the CDC Foundation, working with employers to prevent and contain outbreaks of COVID-19.

Omoladé Adeniyi is looking to make a difference in health care for those who are underrepresented.

Valeria Saldana knew she had found a welcoming community from her first visit to campus.

Richard Juknavorian ’98 gets involved in the university whenever he can. He mentors students, serves on the advisory board of the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, donates to scholarships and hosts events.

Marina Novaes was inspired to pursue a career in health after a mission trip to El Salvador. Marina's experiences through her sorority, Alpha Sigma Tau, and the peer-education group Campus Advocates for Prevention Education, motivated her to apply (and be accepted into) UML’s Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Public Health program.