Harsna Chahal wearing a cap and gown

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Recent Master of Public Health (MPH) graduate Harsna Chahal, ‘24, has been a Spartan for as long as she can remember. The Michigan native has fond memories of visiting Michigan State University’s (MSU) campus with her father, who works on campus. “The core memories I’ve created at MSU have made it my second home, and the people here are part of my community,” she said. 

Jenna Koelsch

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Immersive experiences in the field cannot be taught in a classroom. The key to becoming a successful global health professional is stepping out of your comfort zone and traveling somewhere new. Master of Public Health (MPH) alumna Jenna Koelsch, MPH ’23, is gaining meaningful experiences in the Peace Corps as an HIV/AIDS Youth and Adolescent Health Advocacy Volunteer in Lesotho, Africa.

Milk in baby bottles on table

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Babies, parents, and caregivers in Central and Southeast Michigan now have better access to donor breast milk thanks to Michigan State University alumnae Erin McGreal-Miller and Brittany Ganton.

Shared experiences motivated them to help open the state’s second milk bank; both pursued master’s degrees in public health (MPH) at MSU and chose to use donated breast milk to feed their babies.

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"So, this is what it feels like," were the words I remember uttering as I looked at The Spartan statue. It marked the first instance I truly sensed the accumulated depths of emotions shared by countless previous graduates who had celebrated their accomplishments beside the iconic figure.

Crime. Trauma. Drugs. Intimate partner violence. Sex trafficking. Child abuse and neglect.

That may sound like a lineup of topics from episodes of Law and Order: SVU, but it’s not. These are the real-life issues that concern Rebecca Stone on a daily basis.

Stone is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Education at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with earning her B.A. (2007), M.S. (2009), and Ph.D. (2014) degrees in criminal justice, Stone added on a Master of Public Health degree (2012) from Michigan State University.

Holly Campbell, MPH, RN

The best way to create a fulfilling career is to move forward. From pre-med to public health to nursing school, Holly Campbell may think that she “did things backward.” It turns out she was charting a path to do what she loves in a public health career where she combines her nursing background with health promotion and disease prevention. 

Learn more about Holly's public health work in northern Michigan. 

Spring 2022 brought two milestones for Master of Public Health (MPH) graduate Catherine Washington: a new degree and a new full-time position. “I went into the job hunt with a very diverse set of experiences and skills. MSU’s MPH program provides opportunities for you to research new topics, develop new skills, and explore the day-to-day of other career paths,” said Washington. 

Lindsey Rose

At the start of 2020, Lindsey Rose was paired with MSU researcher Todd Lucas, PhD, C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health, for her MSU Master of Public Health (MPH) practicum experience. But the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic made her practicum experience different from most.

John Matkovic

What do students need to maintain a healthy lifestyle while in college? That’s what Spartan in Public Health alumnus John Matkovic’s research focuses on.

“We all know that students enter college with different levels of readiness on how to study, how to be healthy while in college,” said Matkovic, who earned his bachelor’s degree in microbiology (’06) and his master of public health (MPH) (’11) from Michigan State University.

Sara Loughrige

You’re six months pregnant, and you get the news that the father of your unborn child has been shot and killed while visiting his family in a town two hours away. It could be your undoing, or you could work through your grief and eventually move on with your life to do something positive in spite of the tragedy.

That’s what happened to Sara Loughrige in February 2005.

“All you can do is try to keep going,” Loughrige said. “The immediate feeling is that you don’t want to do anything—you get frozen in grief.”

Noel Pingatore

Armed with her MSU master’s degree in public health and more than 25 years of experience, Noel Pingatore, Spartan in Public Health, joined the fight against COVID-19 to decrease transmission and improve patient outcomes for tribal communities in Michigan. Tribal communities were experiencing higher rates of underlying risk factors for COVID-19 and disproportionate health outcomes.

Clara Barajas

Clara Barajas grew up working in farm fields and picking crops with her siblings. As a child, she recalls serving as a translator and helping loved ones get needed health care services. As a public health professional, she advocates for the health interests of the Latino community.

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