Student Spotlight

SPPH students, alumni, and faculty joined TXPHS25 in Houston, engaging sessions on technology, transmission, and trust. Their reflections highlight collaboration, One Health, the challenge of misinformation, and emerging risks like New World screwworm.

Monica Hernandez’s journey in public health spans global HIV work, federal policy roles, and doctoral training at UTMB. Now at MD Anderson, she applies her quantitative toolkit to patient-centered cancer prevention research with real-world impact.

At the first townhall, the SPPH Student Association outlined three pillars that cover service, career prep, and community. Next steps include a Sept 29 volunteer event, free StrengthsFinder coaching, LinkedIn headshots, WAGs, and the Hablamos Spanish club.

Once a molecular biologist, Utpol Das shifted to public health after seeing preventable deaths. After BRAC training and WASH work in Rohingya camps, he joined UTMB SPPH to study H-EPESE data on pain, depression and insomnia in older Mexican Americans and prepare for a PhD.

After military service and career shifts, UTMB alumnus Christopher Kurinec (’25 MS Biostatistics) discovered his passion for data. Now a Research Scientist at CU Anschutz, he shows how persistence and diverse experiences can shape a career in biostatistics.

Emily Edgar and Izabella Galindo are leading the SPPH Student Association with plans for monthly events, stronger community ties, and lasting programs that connect students with faculty networks and local partners.

Tibor Kisel, MPH ’23, went from teaching fifth graders during the COVID-19 pandemic to guiding researchers through grant strategy. Her path to public health was shaped by lived experience, a math background, and a drive to help communities access resources.

From pre-med student to Senior Health Planner, Igor Vouffo’s path blends persistence, global experience, and policy focus. Learn how UTMB SPPH shaped his journey and how he’s shaping public health across borders and systems.

Dr. Craig Kutz, a UTMB MPH graduate and flight surgeon at NASA, co-authored new research on ketamine’s potential use in psychiatric emergencies during long-duration space missions.

After caring for patients during Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19, Dr. Khamron Micheals now builds AI tools to predict asthma risk before hospitalization. His path from ICU nights to population-level research reflects a bold vision for smarter, more equitable respiratory care

From collecting bugs to coordinating clinical research, Betty Hernandez, MPH '25, has carved a path from entomology to health policy advocacy—shaped by pandemic response, fieldwork in El Salvador, and a deep commitment to health literacy and equity.

MPH student Allie Murphy reflects on her summer in Cambodia, where she helped evaluate a school-based health curriculum and visited three partner schools through her Global Health Practicum.