Minority Students for the Advancement of Public Health
(MSAPH)
What is MSAPH?
Minority Students for the Advancement
of Public Health (MSAPH) at the University of Illinois
at Chicago School of Public Health desires to complement
the graduate experience by encouraging community service
and social bonding within the Chicago community. MSAPH
strives to attain this goal through events and activities
focusing on academic support, professional growth, and
community service.
MSAPH holds monthly general meetings
and social activities and participates in community
service in the Chicago area. In addition to handling
business at our general monthly meetings, we try our
best to expose our members to issues in the public health
community that affect minorities and their professional
development opportunities.
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Vision of MSAPH
Minority Students for the Advancement
of Public Health has adopted the motto "Lifting
As We Climb" as a symbol of our dedication to being
a support system for each other as we embark on careers
in the health professions. Graduate school can be an
extremely demanding endeavor for any student, minority
or majority.  For a minority student in a majority-dominated
field, the obstacles to success can be even more challenging.
MSAPH exists so that you do not have to make your journey
alone. MSAPH is committed to providing you with the
tools that are critical to helping you achieve academic
and professional success. If you need support for personal,
academic, or professional reasons, we encourage you
to seek members of MSAPH. Most importantly, remember
that you can succeed in graduate school. None of us
would have been accepted if we did not possess the skills
needed for success in graduate school and beyond.
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Goals of MSAPH
- To provide an atmosphere that will
assist minority graduate students in achieving academic
and professional success.
- To act as a strong voice for the
minority graduate community by actively dealing with
issues that affect the growth and success of MSAPH
members.
- To work with the School of Public
Health administration in recognizing and addressing
the needs of MSAPH members.
- To represent MSAPH in a manner
that will command respect and admiration from fellow
graduate students, administrators, and professors.
- To provide positive role models
for students through the Mentor Program and other
initiatives involving area professionals.
- To provide leadership opportunities
for students that will help them develop the skills
and work habits needed to enhance their future professional
growth.
- To emphasize the importance of
contributing to the community by encouraging students
to volunteer their time with various organizations,
and become more politically active in issues pertaining
to our communities.
- To assist students in identifying
employment and financial assistance opportunities
through postings, job fairs, and networking events.
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Membership
The University of Illinois at Chicago
graduate chapter of Minority Students for the Advancement
of Public Health is a non dues-paying membership organization.
All minority students of the School of Public Health
are considered active MSAPH members. Non SPH students
are also invited to join MSAPH. We encourage students
to participate in at least three events held by the
organization per semester.
MSAPH Advisor:Adela
Peña, MEd, Coordinator Graduate Career Services, UICSPH, 178AA Peterson Reference Center, 1603 W. Taylor Chicago, IL 60612-4394
Adela Peña joined the School
of Public Health full time on April 17, 2005, as the
school’s first Coordinator for Graduate Career
Placement. She received her B.A. degree in International
Studies from Michigan State University, and a M.Ed.
degree in Educational Systems Development with an emphasis
in Cross-Cultural Communication and Student Personnel
at Michigan State University. Prior to coming to the
School of Public Health, Adela served as Assistant Director
for International Placement at the Office of Career
Services at Michigan State University, after which she
became the Assistant Director for Career Services and
Internships at DePaul University. She also worked as
Assistant Director in the Office of Career Services
at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Adela is an
experienced resource for minority students. Adela is currently the Co-Chair for the Career Services Council for the Association of Schools of Public Health.
2007-2008 Officers:
President - Wade Ivy III, Epidemiology, PhD candidate
Born a Mississippian, Wade decided to pursue an undergraduate degree from a historically black university. Therefore, upon completion of high school, he attended Grambling State University in Louisiana, where he completed a Bachelor's of Science degree, majoring in biology. Upon his discovery of the opportunities in epidemiology, he decided to become a public health professional, which led him to project IMHOTEP at Morehouse College where he worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigating rabies prevalence in the northwestern United States. Following the internship, Wade was awarded a one-year fellowship at the CDC working in the Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases branch, investigating Escherichia coli O157 outbreaks in the United States.
Vice President - Edward Brown, Health Policy & Administration, MPH
Edward is a full time second year student in the Health Policy and Administration division of the School of Public Health. Prior to attending the University of Illinois at Chicago, Edward graduated with high honors from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with a Bachelor's of Science in Community Health with concentrations in Health Planning & Administration and Health Education & Promotion. He received accolades such as Univerisity of Illinois Dean’s List, Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) Participant and the National Society for Collegiate Scholars during his undergraduate experience. His initial desire to work in Health Administration fostered from his passion to address the health needs of underserved communities and a desire to experience the actual management environment within a hospital. He hopes to translate his experiences and knowledge into an opportunity to prepare to engage in the management and functionality of a hospital from a financial, quality and performance perspective.
Currently, Edward is a Graduate Assistant at the Office of Career Services at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His responsibilities include providing assistance to students in a process of self-assessment, career planning and preparation and to introduce potential job opportunities in their respective fields. In addition to being a Graduate Assistant, Edward interns at United Healthcare of Illinois where he engages in business development and daily operations with senior management.
Treasurer - Angel Griffin, Health Policy & Administration, MPH
Angel Griffin, a Chicago native, attended Kenwood Academy High School. As a student at Kenwood, Angel was involved in many organizations, was a member of the National Honor Society and excelled in her college bridge program, which allowed her to earn college credit while still in high school. Upon graduating from Kenwood, Angel attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). During her time as a student at UIUC, she participated in the Summer Residential Enrichment Program (SREP), which is hosted by the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Public Health. While in SREP, Angel analyzed data for the Chicago School Asthma Program, in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics under the guidance of Dr. Kamal Eldeirawi. She also participated in the Summer Research Opportunities Program, hosted by the Graduate College at UIC and worked with Dr. Cynthia Boyd on the CDPH Greater Englewood Healthy Start Initiative. Angel graduated with honors with a Bachelor’s in Community Health and an emphasis in Health Administration.
Currently, Angel is a second year Masters student in the Health Policy and Administration Division the University of Illinois Chicago School Of Public Health. She is a graduate assistant in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois Medical Center Department. Angel has completed internships with the City of Chicago, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and is currently completing a practicum at BlueCross and BlueShield Association. At the School of Public Health, Angel serves as an executive board member for the Minority Students for the Advancement of Public Health.
Secretary - Katherine Freeman, Health Policy & Administration, MPH
Katherine Freeman was born and raised in Rantoul, IL as small rural town in Central Illinois. After graduating from Rantoul Township High school with honors, she went on to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. It was there were she majored in the Community Health where she double specialized in Health Administration/Planning and Health Education. She also chose to minor in Spanish. She completed her Spanish minor while traveling abroad to San Joaquin, Costa Rica her last semester of her undergrad career. While at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Katherine received several honors which include becoming a member of two national honor societies, and also recognized as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. Furthermore, she also served on the Executive Board the of Minority Association of Pre-Health Scholars organization.
After graduating with honors from the University of Illinois, she went on to be accepted in the Health Policy Administration program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In her spare time, Katherine volunteers for the Chicago Outreach Intervention Program which she has been involved with since September of 2005. In the fall of 2005, she also became an active member of both the Minority Students for the Advancement of Public Health and Public Health Student Association. She currently serves on the executive board of both organizations.
Katherine's future plans after graduating involve either working for a local or government organization where she believes that she can be part of the solutions to the problems which America is dealing with regards to health care access.
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Benefits
Membership in MSAPH has a variety
of benefits designed to make the UIC public health student's
relationship with the organization rewarding and enjoyable.
In addition to providing members the opportunity to
further their own goals and objectives as future leaders
in the public health and minority communities, MSAPH
membership offers the following benefits:
- Access to mentors within the school
to guide students through the rigors of graduate school
experience.
- Access to books, study guides,
and outline banks.
- Opportunity to run for and hold
office.
- Opportunity to vote in elections
and on MSAPH matters.
- Meeting people and networking.
- Invitations to receptions for speakers
and presenters at special events.
- Access to a wealth of experiences
and opportunities through our affiliations with groups
like the National Association of Health Care Executives
(NAHCE), the Chicago Urban League, and the African
American Health Care Council.
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Meetings
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Up-Coming Events/Activities
Visit SPH events calendar for information on events and activities.
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