Kelly Andrasik, bachelor’s in health science ’06, and master’s in occupational therapy ’07, works at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford in California and is now going back to school to get her doctorate in occupational therapy from Kansas University Medical Center. She married Scott McLeod on May 28, 2018.
Jacob Atem, doctorate in One Health ’17, published a commentary in USA Today on his experience as a refugee emigrating to the U.S. He is a postdoctoral researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Kenneth Freundlich, doctorate in clinical psychology ’84, was named the 2018 Psychologist of the Year by the New Jersey Psychological Association. He has been an active member of the association for nearly 30 years, holding many leadership positions, including president. As managing partner of Morris Psychological Group in Parsippany, New Jersey, he serves as an independent evaluator for major insurance companies. He has testified in New Jersey Superior Court as an expert witness in civil and criminal cases and is on the medical staff at Overlook Medical Center and Morristown Medical Center.
Roberta Isleib, doctorate in clinical psychology ’85, has published “Death on the Menu” under the pen name Lucy Burdette. It is the eighth book in her Key West murder mystery series.
Jacob Jones, doctorate in clinical psychology ’16, is the recipient of the Society for Clinical Neuropsychology’s Early Career Pilot Award. A neuropsychology postdoctoral researcher at UCLA, he will test the hypothesis that microbiota abundance in the gastrointestinal tract will be associated with cognitive impairment and decreased white matter integrity in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.
Michael Morris, doctorate in health services research ’14, recently began a two-year term as chair of the Finance, Economics, and Insurance Faculty Forum of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration. He also serves on the Board of Examiners for the Healthcare Financial Management Association. The board is tasked with the establishment of professional certification standards for the field of health care finance and with the development of content for certification exams.
Elise Peterson, master’s in public health ’04, is a registered nurse who practices at Children’s Hospital Colorado and teaches nursing students as a clinical affiliate faculty member at Loretto Heights School of Nursing at Regis University. She been on many international medical mission trips and recently had a story published on her travels in the book “One Nurse at a Time: Lessons Learned: True Stories of Humanitarian Responders on the Front Line.”
Stephanie Pollard, bachelor’s in health science ’01 and master’s in public health ’04, is a clinical laboratory scientist and community health educator in the Gainesville and Tampa areas. She founded Health Workshops R Us to present professional, effective and accurate health information to the public. She provides health and wellness services to educate people about their medical conditions, giving them tools to make choices to improve their health and lifestyle.
Nermine Rubin, master’s in health administration/master’s in business administration ’86, and her daughter, Samantha, climbed Uhuru Peak on Mount Kilimanjaro this summer to raise awareness and funds for the nonprofit Water4Mercy.org. The group seeks to provide schools and villages in remote areas in Africa with permanent and sustainable water and agricultural solutions.
Aliyah Snyder, doctorate in clinical psychology ’17, won the 2018 National Academy of Neuropsychology Outstanding Dissertation Award for her dissertation, “The Effect of Exercise on Neurorecovery following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study.”
Jeri (Burkhart) Spatz, bachelor’s in health science ’06 and master’s in public health ’08, graduated in May with a master of physician assistant degree from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Erika Manion Thompson, bachelor’s in health science ’10 and master’s in public health ’11, is an assistant professor in the department of health behavior and health systems at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth.
Six Master of Public Health alumni were inducted into UF’s chapter of Delta Omega, the public health honor society, during a ceremony held May 3. They include Kendra Auguste, ’13, Janet Brishke ’08, Maria Mejia de Grubb ’10, Emily Jones ’13, Ian Kracalik ’12, and Chad Neilsen ’09.
