Careers are likely to include government agency or legislative staff positions, policy and consulting firms, think tanks, advocacy organizations and lobbying firms, international organizations, private firms, hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions focused on health and population issues, academic or media positions.
Kellee Miller
Following my graduation from the Florida State University Masters in Public Health program I was hired by the Jaeb Center for Health Research, a non-profit clinical trial coordinating center in Tampa, Florida. I have worked for the Jaeb Center as an epidemiologist and biostatistician for over 6 years. Currently, I am the Principal Investigator and Coordinating Center Director for a randomized clinical trial funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I am a member of the American Diabetes Association and the Society for Clinical Trials. Over the past 6 years I have been an author on over 20 peer-reviewed journal publications and have given numerous presentations at national and international conferences. I am a doctoral candidate in epidemiology at the University of South Florida and look forward to completing my Ph.D. and continuing to grow in the field of public health.
The masters in public health program at Florida State allowed me to choose electives in statistics and epidemiology in order to cater my education towards my area of interest. I was able to take advanced applied statistics and epidemiology courses under the psychology and sociology departments. I very much enjoyed being able to create my own personal concentration while also receiving a strong foundation in public health from the traditional course work.
Kim Barnhill
As the Chief of Staff for the State Surgeon General of the Florida Department of Health (DOH), I oversee the Offices of Communications, Legislative Planning, and Performance & Quality Improvement, as well as monitor the day-to-day operations of DOH statewide.
I graduated cum laude from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in health education, a Master’s degree in adult education with a certificate in gerontology, and a Master’s degree in Public Health. I currently serve on the Board of Directors of the National Public Health Foundation, the Big Bend Early Learning Coalition, as well as the Board of Apalachee Services. I serve on the FSU Masters of Public Health Advisory Council and the Senior Deputies Committee for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
Working on my MPH at FSU was the highlight of my educational career. Having already worked in the field for many years, it gave me the opportunity to share Public Health practice experience with the future Public Health workforce, while learning the theory of Public Health policy. The FSU Master’s in Public Health program allowed me to establish long lasting relationships that have further inspired my passion for a career in public health. When my 25 year old son, Luke, informed me that he, too, would get his MPH at FSU, I was pleased to know that the tradition of encouraging behavioral changes that improve health outcomes would continue.
Ami Murphy
I’m currently a Pathology resident at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and will serve as a Forensic Pathology fellow for the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Houston in 2015. A typical day on the job for me can include teaching medical students, processing surgical specimens, or performing autopsies. I love what I do, and I wouldn’t be where I am without my Master’s degree in Public Health from Florida State University.
I received my undergraduate degree in mathematics but always wanted to work in healthcare. In an attempt to change my career path, I decided to pursue an MPH, which was more rewarding than I could have possibly imagined. The program at Florida State was challenging but attainable, even for someone without prior healthcare experience. After graduation, I attended medical school at the University of North Texas Health Science Center – Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and decided to specialize in forensic medicine.
A Medical Examiner truly is a public health representative. New trends in disease epidemiology, drug addiction, and risk-taking behaviors are often first observed in the Medical Examiner’s office. Along with determining cause and manner of death, a pathologist’s job is to educate juries, families, and the community about possible health hazards. The presentation and data analysis skills I learned at Florida State will be invaluable during the course of my career.
Caroline Fernandez
The Master’s Program in Public Health is policy based, so my transition to the workplace post-graduation was seamless. The knowledge I gained has allowed me to work for the federal government to develop and administer new programs intended to provide high quality options to the uninsured under the Affordable Care Act. During the master’s program, I was able to intern at the Florida Department of Health, which gave me a strong background in policy making. I spent a year with the Florida Senate Committee on Health Regulation, experiencing the political side of health policy. I learned so much from the public health program, not only from my professors, but also from the diverse backgrounds and experiences of my classmates.
Eric Klein
Eric Klein is the Senior Health Informatics Analyst for Equity Healthcare. Eric builds, executes, and analyzes complex database queries for reporting on vendor performance and employer population health metrics. Using this data and his technical expertise in Microsoft Excel and VBA, Eric builds intuitive, scalable, and streamlined dashboards and performance reports.
Before joining Equity Healthcare, Eric supported a flagship account at Truven Health Analytics as well as provided internal expertise across Truven on creating scalable decision support solutions. Prior to working at Truven, Eric earned his B.S. in Economics, MPH, and MBA from Florida State University.