Making Public Health Personal

Are you passionate about making a positive impact on marginalized communities facing public health challenges?

This episode of the Making Public Health Personal podcast delves into effective strategies for addressing health issues both locally and globally and explores the unexpected parallels that can drive meaningful change.

Join host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon as she welcomes two distinguished guests: Dr. Philip Kreniske, assistant professor of Community Health and Social Sciences at CUNY SPH and adjunct assistant professor in the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, and Dr. Nicholas Freudenberg, Distinguished Professor of Public Health at CUNY SPH and the faculty director of Healthy CUNY.

Dr. Kreniske discusses his experience using implementation science to study adolescent health in the US and Sub-Saharan Africa. He highlights the research findings and policy implications designed to tackle socioeconomic and racial disparities, which are key contributors to the elevated rates of HIV and mental health symptoms among adolescents. Listeners will gain valuable insights into tailoring public health communication strategies for adolescent care, and discover innovative approaches and technology uses proven to prevent youth HIV and related issues.

Next, Laura shifts the conversation and discusses local challenges and solutions with Dr. Freudenberg. Learn about the innovative CUNY CARES program, which offers vital services such as healthcare, mental health support, and essentials like food and housing to CUNY students. Dr. Freudenberg explores the evidence-based strategies that make CUNY CARES effective, ways you can support this significant effort, and how students in need can access these crucial resources. Listen in as the conversation navigates the complexities of health equity and discover actionable insights to make a meaningful difference in marginalized communities, both locally and globally. 

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This women’s history month special episode of the Making Public Health Personal podcast breaks down the pressing issues surrounding maternal, child, reproductive, and sexual health in the United States. Host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon speaks with three esteemed guests to delve into the unique curriculum offered at CUNY SPH that addresses these crucial areas in sexual and reproductive justice. 

• Terry McGovern: Senior Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs at CUNY SPH. Previously, the Harriet and Robert H. Heilbrunn Professor and chair of the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. 

• Sarah Pickering: Doctoral candidate in the Community Health and Health Policy (CHSS) program at CUNY SPH with a specialization in Maternal, Child, Reproductive and Sexual Health.

• Diana Romero: Director of the Maternal, Child, Reproductive and Sexual Health specialization and CHSS Professor.

Unlocking opportunities to fund your public health degree and kickstart your career, with Andrea Isabel Lopez, MPH ‘20

Are you looking to pursue a career that supports a cause close to your heart but don’t know where to start?

In the latest episode of the Making Public Health Personal podcast, host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon speaks with Andrea Isabel Lopez about her inspiring journey to success after graduating with an MPH in community health from CUNY SPH. Andrea is currently project manager for the Latinx Arts Consortium of New York and Rita Allen Civic Science Fellow with Ciencia Puerto Rico. 

Listen in for valuable advice on building a lucrative career in public health, incorporating personal passion into your work, and unlocking opportunities for scholarships and fellowships to maximize your graduate school investment. Don't miss this inspiring episode that explores the intersection of personal commitment and professional achievement.

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Welcome to a brand new season of the Making Public Health Personal Podcast, hosted by Laura Meoli-Ferrigon. Today’s guest is Christine Gargano, a Case Manager at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Learn how Christine's dedication and hard work is shaping a healthier future for New York City and beyond.

As a recent recipient of the Neighborhood Rat Reduction Award and the Distinguished Service Award for her pivotal role in the COVID-19 pandemic response and the "Key to NYC" initiative, Christine brings a wealth of experience and passion to the table. She works tirelessly in the Bureau of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, where she confronts one of NYC's most common yet challenging health issues - rodents.

In this episode, Christine shares invaluable advice for anyone seeking to change careers and make a meaningful impact in the field of public health. We'll delve into her transition from a career in finance to her true calling in public health. Discover how being authentic and genuine during her job interview landed her the dream role, and how her previous experience in finance became an unexpected asset in her current position.

Also, she explains how she pursued her Master's in Public Health in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences from CUNY SPH while juggling a full-time job. Christine's expertise in identifying and analyzing environmental and occupational health threats, particularly rodents in our bustling city, will give you fascinating insights you never could have imagined. 

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In today’s episode of the Making Public Health Personal podcast, host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon speaks with Danielle Greene, DrPH, MPH, MCHES, one of the authors of the groundbreaking study on medical cannabis and opioid prescriptions. The study, “Changes in Prescribed Opioid Dosages Among Patients Receiving Medical Cannabis for Chronic Pain” found an association between receiving medical cannabis for chronic pain for a longer duration and a reduction in prescription opioid dosages. 

Dr. Greene brings over 30 years of public health leadership experience to the discussion and shares her insights on how medical cannabis can be used as another tool in response to the opioid epidemic. Listen and learn about the history of cannabis and opioids in the country, the evolution of pain management practices, and the future of medical and recreational cannabis as more states legalize it. Join the conversation on how legalization can be done safely and equitably.

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In this episode of the Making Public Health Personal podcast, host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon speaks with CUNY SPH alumna Lauren Rauh. Since graduating in 2020 with her master of public health degree, Lauren is now program director of the New York Vaccine Literacy Campaign (VLC) at CUNY SPH. Lauren will share how her experience in the food industry prepared her for her current role, and the challenges and opportunities she faced when pivoting careers. We'll also be discussing the future of the VLC and how they are expanding their model to address systemic challenges around resources and information for preventative health care. Lauren will share tips on how to evolve professionally and find new opportunities in the quickly-changing world of public health. She will also advise how to tell if public health is the right career choice for you, without having to quit your day job. Join us to learn how to make a successful career pivot while making a positive impact on the health of your community.  

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There are endless possibilities that a public health degree can open up for you. Whether you are looking to pursue a career in healthcare, government, research & academia, public service or if you want to start your own business, an MPH degree can put you on the path towards success. In this episode of the Making Public Health Personal Podcast, CUNY SPH graduate Pavan Lohia ‘20 explains how huge of a commitment it is to pursue your Medical Doctorate, with many sacrifices both socially and financially. He shares a roadmap of his pre-med journey and explains how the opportunities available at CUNY SPH opened up doors that he never would have expected. Learn how to gain leadership skills and experience while still in school, how to plan for your future goals and what you can do with your public health degree.

Pavan Lohia graduated from CUNY SPH in 2020 with a Master of Public Health (MPH) concentrating in Population health and clinical sciences. He was awarded the Dean's Merit Award for Service as well as Honors from the Epsilon Chi Chapter of the Delta Omega Public Health Honorary Society, of which he is a Founding Member & President. Pavan also served as President of the Graduate Student Government Association at CUNY SPH. From being a leader at his school to being a leader in public health, Pavan is the founder of PavLyfe Group, a healthcare brand and investment firm that is redefining healthcare through knowledge, innovative technology, and capital investments. During his time as a Clinical Researcher at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, part of his fieldwork at CUNY SPH, he led major healthcare research projects related to Covid-19 and the long-term health impacts to 9/11 World Trade Center workers. While working at the National Science Foundation, in 2019 he was selected from the Presidential Pathways Program and he worked on international and national scale projects. This work led him to receive the 2021 Scientific Achievement of the Year Award from the NSF.

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Pavan Lohia can be reached via email at pavanlohia@pavlyfe.com or connect with him on these platforms:

You may not be surprised, with the level of gun violence in this country, that the US has one of the highest rates of school violence in the world. But violence against children is perpetrated in homes and in schools, in many forms, and in families and countries rich and poor. As the future of our society, either we prevent violence against children while they are young, or we will have to take care of the consequences as they get older. Whether they are your children or someone else’s, children are the future of our society, making them everyone’s responsibility to keep safe. This includes preventing them from witnessing violence, which also has very serious long-lasting effects. Violence against children is one of the biggest public health problems of our time, and there are dedicated people working to end it on a global scale. But what can we do to help?

Today’s episode of the Making Public Health Personal Podcast looks at an oral history project at CUNY SPH called Public Health Education Now. This project asks students, faculty and staff at CUNY SPH how their lived experiences since 2020 have shaped their vision of what we want public education to be.

Host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon speaks with three members of the Public Health Education Now team about how they use the lessons they’ve learned from this project in their anti-racist classrooms today. We’ll discuss the oral history interviews that the team conducted, focusing on experiences of not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the increased visibility of racism and other oppressions, and movements for racial justice that are reverberating both in and out of the classroom. While working on this project, the team learned how to overcome major breakdowns in communication by using a method called restorative circles, and used the power of pause to get back on track. Learn how to create meaningful group assignments that allow for reflection and reinforce learning. One of these suggestions is actually to make public health personal! We discuss this and other important pedagogy tips which can promote a culture of acceptance, healing and respectful collaboration in the classroom and beyond.

The Public Health Education Now project was co-lead by two CUNY SPH Associate Professors from the CUNY SPH department of Community Health and Social Sciences: Dr. Emma Tsui and Dr. Spring Cooper. Dr Emma Tsui’s work focuses on intersections of community health, occupational health and social sciences. Her research methods include some innovative methods such as peer interviewing, digital storytelling, and oral history, which is the format used for this particular project. Dr. Spring Cooper is a social researcher with experience in public health, health promotion and sexuality. Her academic background focuses on BioBehavioral health and prevention, as well as sexual health education and knowledge among young people. Ayah Elsayed helped to design this project, conducted interviews and worked to build and maintain the audio archive for the Public Health Education Now project. She graduated in 2022 from CUNY SPH with her MPH, and now teaches public health at Pace University.

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Is the COVID-19 pandemic really over? How many vaccines and boosters we will need, and how often? Should we continue wearing masks? In this special episode of the Making Public Health Personal Podcast, host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon speaks with three experts from CUNY SPH who are part of the global panel responsible for a new study synthesizing the best ideas on how we move forward from the pandemic. A consensus was reached among almost four hundred experts to provide specific recommendations to end COVID-19 as a public health threat, and published in Nature, the world’s leading multidisciplinary science journal. It features specific actions unanimously recommended by a panel of public health experts from 112 countries and territories. We’ll discuss the process for coordinating this type of study, the major areas it addresses, and the practical tips that you can take to protect yourself from COVID-19, no matter where you live in the world.

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How can we transform public health into an innovative, forward-thinking community of change agents willing to act quickly to meet the challenges and public health crises in our world? The Health Policy and Management curriculum at CUNY SPH has been preparing public health professionals to become innovation-driven leaders willing to challenge the status quo.

Today’s guest on the Making Public Health Personal Podcast is Dr. Terry Huang, Professor and Chair in the Department of Health Policy and Management at CUNY SPH. He is also Director of the Center for Systems and Community Design at CUNY SPH, and developed a public health entrepreneurship platform called Firefly Innovations. Dr. Huang speaks with host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon about how his interdisciplinary background inspired a hands-on curriculum which instills leadership skills onto our students so they can become innovative, forward-thinking leaders in public health. We’ll discuss why the entrepreneurial mindset is more important than ever, and how to use it to transform their organization, their community and society at large.

This episode of the Making Public Health Personal Podcast is about a hot topic you may have been hearing about lately, period poverty, otherwise known as menstrual product insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the inequity that women endure as a result of menstruation. Not only are these essential items (tampons, pads, etc.) taxed in a lot of US states, they are also not covered under public assistance or emergency response programs. These gendered (and sex-based) burdens have a negative impact on people’s physical and mental health, especially for the most vulnerable populations with lower incomes.

Host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon speaks about this important topic with Dr. Andrew Maroko, Associate Professor in the Environmental, Occupational, and Geospatial Health Sciences department here at CUNY SPH. His research examines health disparities, inequities, exposures, accessibility, and environmental justice. Dr. Maroko recently collaborated with faculty at Columbia University and here at CUNY SPH on a US based study called “Menstrual Product Insecurity Resulting From COVID-19‒Related Income Loss”.

In this episode, we will learn:

● who is most affected by the inability to afford menstrual products

● how this issue (like many other issues) was exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic

● how the policies we have in place in the United States surprisingly do very little to combat this problem

● how his research is being used to influence lawmakers towards more equitable policies

● and what you can do to make a difference.

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If you think the healthcare system in the United States is over-complicated and inequitable, you might be surprised to learn about the corruption and lack of access and affordability to healthcare that most citizens of Puerto Rico face on their island. In this episode of the Making Public Health Personal podcast, CUNY SPH doctoral student Sergio Rivera Rodriguez, MPH gives us context on the political history of Puerto Rico and how their healthcare system became what it is today.

Host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon inquires about Sergio’s current research project which aims to expand health care coverage to every citizen on the island. Based on his data collection and analysis, he describes the differences in access, utilization, and cost of health care services by health insurance status, including the elderly and people living in poverty. This data is severely lacking in Puerto Rico, where there is not even an accurate count of how many people are uninsured. In order to create efficient policy reforms, hold private health insurance companies accountable for their spending, and adequately fund public programs (such as medicare and medicaid), this data is essential.

What is the solution to Puerto Rico’s healthcare woes? How can we use this research into Puerto Rico’s system to create better healthcare access, affordability and satisfaction here in the United States? Are the other healthcare systems that other countries have in place working more effectively? The answers may surprise you.

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Contact & find out more about Sergio Rivera Rodriguez’s project:

Community organizing goes beyond protesting and posting on social media. It’s finding a cause you’re passionate about, joining with other people, and using your collective voices to make a difference. In this episode of the Making Public Health Personal podcast, we share tips for being an ally for social justice, even if you aren’t part of the community most impacted by injustice. 

Our guest in this episode is the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Alumni Relations, who also teaches in the department of Community Health and Social Sciences at SPH, Dr. Lynn Roberts. She speaks with podcast host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon about the collective efforts to advance sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice, providing strategies on how to get involved with strategies to raise awareness- including storytelling and coalition building. We also discuss how advocates and community organizers in the digital age use strategies informed by the leaders of our past, to empower collective movements. 

Dr. Roberts is an emeritus board member of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. As the co-editor and contributing author of an acclaimed anthology titled “Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundations, Theory, Practice, Critique”, Dr. Roberts shares her personal commitment to radical reproductive justice in this episode. She explains how women of color, Indigenous people, the LGBTQIA+ community and many others face historic and contemporary challenges to human rights and health equity, stemming from years of systemic oppression. This is important to her research, which focuses on the intersections of race, class and gender in adolescent dating relationships, juvenile justice and reproductive health policies and practice.

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April is disability awareness month at CUNY and there are some great events planned that all CUNY students can participate in. Year-round, students with disabilities face added obstacles that make pursuing an education challenging. Disabilities can range from physical to mental, and often come with stigma that can be a barrier to seeking help. All college students, even graduate and doctoral students, are eligible for accommodations if they have medical documentation of their disability. They just have to know who at their school to reach out to for support. CUNY SPH students have the Office of Accessibility Services in their corner to help them succeed.

In this episode of the Making Public Health Personal podcast, we speak with the Disability Coordinator for students here at SPH. Jeanette Rodriguez is a resident of the South Bronx and has worked in various roles at CUNY SPH since 2014. In addition to advocating for students with disabilities, she is also currently the Executive Assistant to the CUNY SPH Dean. Her passion is for helping others and encouraging her community to give back to those in need.

Host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon speaks with Jeanette about the accommodations available to students with disabilities, and how they can obtain that support. We explore what exactly is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and future plans for the office to increase participation, eliminate stigma, and bring more awareness to the topic of student accessibility.

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Adapting to a new life across the country while pursuing a PhD, in the midst of a pandemic is not simple. In this episode of Making Public Health Personal, doctoral student at CUNY SPH, Ivonne Quiroz, MPH shares the story of her journey as a nontraditional student pursuing a public health education. Ivonne speaks with podcast host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon about her passion for food justice, race, culture, and health. She also opens up about how she personally navigates challenges with ADHD, a story that gives hope for other neurodivergent students, and/or students with disabilities to succeed.

Ivonne Quiroz is from California and graduated with a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of California, Irvine. She also has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from San Francisco State University. Despite its physical distance from her former career as an Organizational Director for social organizations on the West Coast, New York City was the perfect place for her to pursue a doctoral degree in Community Health and Health Policy. Not only is NYC diverse, but the programs available at CUNY SPH were a perfect fit for Ivonne. While the pandemic’s shift to fully online learning allowed her to balance her educational and career opportunities, the flexible classes regularly available at CUNY SPH allow Ivonne to thrive. While pursuing her PhD, she has gained experience as an adjunct teaching a course on Health Equity, Communication and Advocacy - a great resume builder for someone who wants to be a researcher in higher education. Ivonne also has found career opportunities through her connections with CUNY SPH professors, as a research assistant at the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute. Her personal mission as a latina and public health advocate is being realized now, and surely will continue post-graduation.

For students interested in a similar path but not sure where to begin, we discuss the application process for a public health degree, the flexibility of CUNY SPH’s programs, and the career-building opportunities available to current students. Ivonne’s story gives hope for anyone who doesn’t fit the mold of a traditional college student, but hopes to make a difference in the world.

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From Valedictorian to vaccine advocate, the path to a successful career is not a predictable one -- Especially when you are pursuing your Masters’ of Public Health degree during a pandemic. 2021 CUNY SPH Valedictorian Hannah Stuart Lathan shares her story with host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon in this episode. We’ll discuss some of Hannah Stuart’s research and efforts around vaccination, and find out about her journey to obtain her Masters of Public Health degree program and onto a successful career.

Hannah Stuart is from South Carolina and graduated with a degree in Journalism and Public Health from the University of South Carolina Honors College. She then made her way to New York City, working as a sexual health educator and counselor and later pursuing her MPH in Community Health and Maternal, Child, Reproductive and Sexual Health from CUNY SPH, where she also received the Dean’s Academic Achievement Award. Her research with faculty began while she was a student at CUNY SPH, and she was able to work full time while completing her MPH degree program. The professional connections she made here at CUNY SPH set her up with opportunities that continued beyond graduation. She also credits the affordability of CUNY, which allowed her to graduate without student loan debt.

Currently, this hard working alumna is Program Manager for CONVINCE USA and the New York Vaccines Literacy Campaign at CUNY SPH, which supports community-based efforts to increase vaccine uptake through education and communication. She leads programmatic activities and events, and works to identify and mitigate concerns about vaccination. Her story is one that was not predictable, but surely is inspiring.

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The HIV/AIDS pandemic has been around since the 1980s and over 36 million people have died of AIDS. Today over 37 million people are living with HIV, globally. With breakthroughs in prevention, treatment and care coordination in recent years, there are still barriers to achieving optimal HIV care outcomes. In the U.S., these barriers are intersecting epidemics such as mental health and substance abuse, unstable housing and incarceration. This episode of Making Public Health Personal explores the unique challenges and stigma associated with HIV in the U.S., and how far medical interventions and public programs have come to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV. We also explore how lessons learned from the HIV pandemic can inform our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemics of the future.

Host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon from the SPH Office of Online Learning is joined by Dr. Denis Nash, Distinguished Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at CUNY SPH. He is also the Executive Director of CUNY’s Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health. Dr. Nash has over 20 years of experience in infectious disease epidemiology on a national and global scale. He has published over 250 scientific articles and his research is primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In this episode, we will learn about his research projects which focus on improving the outcomes of people living with HIV in the Ryan White Program, an HIV care coordination intervention for people at very high risk of bad HIV care outcomes. We also discuss his new research on HIV injectables and the CHASING COVID Cohort study, to find similarities that can help us better respond to future pandemics.

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Looking for practical indoor ventilation tips to reduce the risk of cold and flu transmission during indoor gatherings and in public settings? With schools opening up to in-person learning, offices welcoming back their workers, and the winter chill keeping us indoors, it’s important to be informed about how viruses spread. You might be wondering, is a child more likely to contract covid-19 from a classmate, or from their teacher? How well-ventilated are NYC classrooms? Is it safe to go back to your cubicle? How can business owners, schools and landlords prepare for the next pandemic? The answers may surprise you. 


This episode of Making Public Health Personal explores important research findings from a Certified Industrial Hygienist that can be applied to schools, offices, buildings and our homes. Host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon from the SPH Office of Online Learning is joined by Dr. Brian Pavilonis, Associate Professor at CUNY SPH who teaches courses in Industrial Hygiene, Noise and Radiation, Industrial Ventilation, and Environmental Health. We look at some of his recent research and the important takeaways that are essential for ensuring safe post-pandemic classrooms and workplaces. Dr. Pavilonis’ work in occupational health and exposure science has spanned the public, private and education sectors. His research focuses on quantifying human exposure and risk to environmental pollutants, especially for disadvantaged workers and communities. In this episode, we examine the current laws in place which mandate proper indoor ventilation in New York, and how enforcement is needed to truly protect workers.

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