HECA College Knowledge Major Talks: Public Health

Description

Public health programs vary significantly in their structure, focus, and career preparation. This webinar begins with a public health graduate student sharing her undergraduate pathway from UNC Chapel Hill to Yale—followed by a deep dive into how two institutions approach the major differently: Indiana University-Bloomington and Loyola University Chicago. You'll develop concrete language to help your students distinguish between programs and make intentional choices about their major.

Loyola University Chicago - What does it mean to major in public health, and where can the degree take students? Using Loyola University Chicago’s undergraduate public health programs as examples, this presentation will explore what students study, how classroom learning connects to research, internships, and other experiential opportunities, and the wide range of career and graduate-school pathways available to public health majors. 

School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University - Explore the wide range of opportunities available through the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B), from health professions and public health to sport, recreation, and hospitality pathways. This session will provide counselors with an understanding of our majors, student experiences, career preparation, and the distinctive features that help students connect their interests to impactful careers.

Yale School of Public Health / UNC Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health - Explore a personal path of discovering public health as an undergraduate major and pursuing it at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, along with the professional experiences gained across government, international development, research, and nonprofit sectors. Attendees will leave with a clearer sense of what a public health degree can lead to and the range of careers it opens up.

Julie Darnell
Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Public Health Programs
Loyola University Chicago

Julie Darnell, PhD, MHSA, is an Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences in the Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health at Loyola University Chicago and the Founding Director of its Undergraduate Public Health Programs. She oversees Loyola’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health, launched in 2019, and Bachelor of Arts in Public Health, added in 2024. Dr. Darnell joined Loyola in December 2015 and has played a central role in developing and expanding undergraduate public health education at the university. Her work focuses on preparing students to address complex public health challenges through interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, and applied and experiential learning opportunities.

Trisha Doyle
Associate Director of Student Recruitment
School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University

Trisha Doyle serves as Associate Director of Student Recruitment for the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B), leading outreach efforts that help students understand academic programs, career pathways, and experiential learning opportunities. With extensive experience in higher education and student engagement, she enjoys helping students connect their interests to majors and future goals.

Nikki Tehrani
Master of Public Health candidate
Yale School of Public Health/UNC Chapel Hill Billings School of Global Public Health

Nikki is a Master of Public Health candidate at the Yale School of Public Health, with a focus in health policy, and a graduate of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Their experience spans the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the United Nations Development Programme, HIV/AIDS research, and nonprofit organizations, giving them a working view of public health across government, international development, and community-based work. After receiving her MPH, she plans on attending medical school.