Marifrances Montell
TECPHI Program Manager, The Southern Plains Tribal Health Board
Marifrances Montell MPH, CPH, is the Program Manager for two federally funded grants at the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board – Oklahoma Area Tribal Epidemiology Center, a tribal serving non-profit organization. Marifrances graduated from the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health in 2018 with her Master of Public Health in Health Promotion Science and is Certified in Public Health (CPH) by the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE).
As the Program Manager for the Tribal Epidemiology Center Public Health Infrastructure (TECPHI) grant she has focused on working with tribal communities within Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas to increase infrastructure and build capacity through continuous quality improvement, data collection and analysis, community engagement, evaluation, and trainings. With an emphasis on respecting tribal sovereignty and providing technical assistance to established and forthcoming partnerships
Marifrances continues to foster collaborations through servant leadership for the benefit of those within the Oklahoma Area Tribal Epidemiology Center service area. Marifrances began working in a clinical setting and transitioned from direct patient services to programmatic evaluation and continues to work in public health as a Program Manager.
Glahnnia Rates
Epidemiologist-CDC Foundation & Community Health Worker Instructor-Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon & Storey Counties
As an epidemiologist at the CDC Foundation for the State of Nevada and a Community Health Worker Instructor with the Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon & Storey Counties, Glahnnia Rates focuses on enhancing healthcare outcomes and addressing public health disparities.
Her work spans urban to remote regions, where she leads initiatives to improve health equity and elevate healthcare standards. She is actively involved with the community through roles such as President of the American Public Health Association (APHA) Black Caucus of Health Workers and Founder and President of the Black Community Health & Wellness Association of Nevada. These roles allow her to advocate for equitable health access and develop community-based interventions that significantly improve public health.
Additionally, she contributes to various boards and organizations, including Women in Public Health and the Governor’s Advisory Board for Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety, supporting public safety and empowering women in health professions. Glahnnia’s dedication to community service is fueled by a passion for promoting educational advancement, implementing preventive health measures, and advocating for a healthier future for everyone.
Michaela Parrott, RD/LD, CLC
Pediatric Dietitian, Oklahoma City Indian Clinic
Michaela Parrott is a pediatric dietitian in the Health Promotion Disease Prevention (HPDP) department at the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic.
She sees patients one on one from 4 months to 17 years old for various nutrition related problems from introductory to first foods, overweight/obesity, and many more. She also plans and implements after-school programs, family program and youth camps.
She has previously worked with Oklahoma Tribal Engagement Partners as an Intertribal Community Nutrition Educator. She has also partnered with Native American tribes in northern Oklahoma and school districts to bridge together culture/heritage and healthy lifestyle habits. As a nutrition educator, Michaela teaches the Eagle Adventure program to 1st-3rd graders in Native American tribe territories.
Emma Waugh
Hoehn Public Health Consulting
Emma Waugh founded Hoehn Public Health Consulting with the mission of helping community partners understand, measure, and amplify their impact in the ways that are most meaningful to them. She is a non-Native ally and has experience working with Tribal clients on programs including youth suicide prevention, substance use, building public health data infrastructure and securing funding for new youth programming
Sydney Sevier
Epidemiologist, Southern Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center
Sydney Sevier holds a master’s degree in medical anthropology and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The University of Oklahoma and is certified in public health. Sevier has worked in the field of public health in both rural and urban settings for last 20 years. Currently, Sevier works as an epidemiologist for the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board and serves as technical assistance for tribes in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Before joining Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, she worked as a lead health promotion specialist for the Oklahoma City County Health Department’s Health at School program for 6 years. In addition to her work in health promotion and epidemiology, Sevier has more than 8 years teaching at higher education institutions and is looking forward to her second year as a THESIS mentor.
Emily Burke, EdD, MPH, CPH
Senior Director of Workforce Development and Applied Practice, ASPPH
Dr. Emily Burke is the Senior Director of Workforce Development and Applied Practice and leads the development, implementation, management, and evaluation of ASPPH research, practice, and workforce development efforts. Dr. Burke oversees strategy and operations of the ASPPH Data Center and the ASPPH Center for Public Health Workforce Development. In this capacity, she addresses the ASPPH organizational strategic framework goals to be the leading voice and authority on academic public health and to champion the development of a diverse and competent public health workforce.
Dr. Burke’s research interests include academic public health, public health workforce and infrastructure, academic and practice linkages in public health, and continuing education and training in public health. Dr. Burke received her EdD from Arizona State University and her MPH from Drexel University. She is board certified in public health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners.
Ella Ewart-Pierce
US Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
Ella Ewart-Pierce has worked in public health for about 15 years. In her current role, she provides evidence-based technical assistance to community, state, local, and tribal health organizations, especially in chronic disease prevention, maternal and child health, and improving access to care. In 2022, she founded a collaboration called the Communities Improving Maternal Health Alliance with federal, state, and local partners to address the negative impacts of social determinants of health (or non-medical drivers of health) on maternal health outcomes at the community-level.
Previously, she worked for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service on the WIC program and National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a Research Analyst. She completed her MPH in Global health with a certificate in management and finance at Johns Hopkins. She has also worked for the Peace Corps Headquarters office in Washington DC, a local health department, and a community-based organization.
She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru and an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer in Austin, Texas.
Lauren Moores
Special Projects Program Manager at Urban Indian Health Institute
Lauren Moores currently manages projects around Missing Murdered Indigenous People, Decolonizing Data, and Reproductive Justice.
She is Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ Dakȟóta with ties to the Fort Peck, Standing Rock, and Yankton Sioux Tribes. She graduated from the Evergreen State College’s Native Pathways Program in 2023. Professionally, she has also been involved in projects surrounding COVID-19 Treatment & Clinical Trials, and Urban AI/AN Youth advocacy and substance use/suicide prevention.
Leah S. Fischer
Health Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Leah Fischer is a Health Scientist in the Division of Infectious Disease Readiness and Innovation, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her 10+ years’ experience in public health spans emergency preparedness and response, program evaluation, policy research and analysis, project management, and technical writing. A motivator in keeping projects focused and on track, she is adept at looking through the lens of a particular audience to maximize the utility of work for clients. By maintaining a view of the big picture, Dr. Fischer connects technical, scientific information, and policy implications to inform public health decision making. Her academic background, encompassing a Doctorate in Public Health, Master of Business Administration and Master of International Relations, provides her with a unique multidisciplinary perspective on issues affecting public health.
CDR Shannon Saltclah
Public Health Advisory, CDC
CDR Shannon Saltclah, PharmD, Ph.C, BC-ADM, CPH is a member of the Navajo Tribe from Teec Nos Pos, AZ. She graduated from UNM College of Pharmacy in 2012 and worked as a Clinical Pharmacist at Tsehootsooi Medical Center (TMC) in Fort Defiance, AZ for 6 years.
She works under the umbrella of the Healthy Tribes Program, Division of Population Health (DPH), National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She serves as a Project Officer for all three cooperative agreements under the Healthy Tribes Program, including Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country (GHWIC) and Tribal Epidemiology Centers Public Health Infrastructure (TECPHI), and Tribal Practices for Wellness in Indian Country (TPWIC).
Lauren Kidwell, MPH
Epidemiologist, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Lauren has been an epidemiologist in the prevention division for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for 2 years. She is a project manager for the youth access to tobacco and alcohol compliance checks; oversee data collection/analysis for lifespan alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use/misuse data; conduct presentations regarding substance use/abuse to stakeholders; coordinate alcohol, tobacco and marijuana prevention workgroup meetings.
Through the marijuana prevention and education workgroup Lauren co-chairs, she has been able to participate in an interim study to the Oklahoma House of Representatives which focused on the increasing number of unintentional marijuana ingestions by children under the age of 6 in Oklahoma.
Lauren is an active member of the American Public Health Association and was able to present her thesis at the 2023 APHA Annual Conference in Boston which centered around Medication Assisted Treatment Programs at behavioral health clinics in northeastern Oklahoma.
Lauren is also an active member of the Oklahoma Public Health Association where she currently serves as the Epidemiology/Lab Science Section Chair, Scholarship Committee Member and Annual Conference Planning Committee Member.
In Lauren’s community, she is a coach for First Tee of Tulsa – which teaches life skills through the game of golf to youths aged 7 – 18 and she teaches exercise classes at the YMCA of Tulsa.
Miranda Bosse
Senior Manager of Educational Initiatives, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)
Miranda Bosse was born and raised in Buffalo, NY and obtained both her undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. In 2021, she earned her MSW and MPH and began working at the UB School of Public Health. Her professional background ranges from work in student affairs and higher education administration to mental health counseling and teaching dance to K-12 students.
In her current position at ASPPH, she oversees their diverse portfolio of academic initiatives ranging from their work in diversifying the public health workforce to expanding career pathways for those interested in pursuing public health. She co-manages their Transforming Academia for Equity grant, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is responsible for the association’s external facing diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice initiatives.
Miranda has a passion for dismantling systemic practices and ideologies and aims to serve as a progressive change agent, causing ‘good trouble’ each and every day in her work.
Taylor Holland
Community Health Worker Program Manager, Oklahoma State Department of Health
Taylor Holland is a proud member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, deeply committed to community health and wellness. As the Program Manager for the Office of Community Health Workers at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, she’s spearheading statewide efforts to uplift the voices of Community Health Workers (CHWs).
Her focus is on enhancing the sustainability of the workforce, improving resource alignment, developing strategies to address social drivers of health, and ensuring that CHWs not only have a seat at the table but are also integral to building the table itself. Previously, Taylor served as the Transformation and Quality Improvement Project Manager, where she advised agency leadership on setting goals, defining milestones, and implementing strategic initiatives to enhance efficiency across all operations.
Taylor’s passion for continuous improvement extends to both her personal and professional life. In the fall, Taylor will continue her education in the Indigenous Health PhD Program at the University of North Dakota, reflecting her deep-rooted passion for health equity and community well-being. She believes that building strong relationships is key to creating positive change in communities.
In her spare time, she enjoys exploring new places, learning the Arapaho language, and spending quality time with family and friends. Her guiding philosophy is simple: have fun and help each other every chance you get.
Ursula Bauer
Deputy Commissioner for Public Health, New York State Dept of Health
In her professional role, Ursula Bauer is the deputy commissioner for public health at the New York State Department of Health, where she directs the Office of Public Health. OPH works to address chronic diseases, infectious diseases, injuries, environmental health, maternal, child and family health, and other areas of public health concern.
Prior to joining NYSDOH in August 2021, she served as senior advisor to the U.S. Surgeon General. There she worked to advance partnership strategies to increase investment in communities and led the development of Community Health and Economic Prosperity: Engaging Businesses as Stewards and Stakeholders—A Report of the Surgeon General. Prior to joining the Surgeon General’s Office in 2018, Ursula directed the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for eight-and-a-half years. At CDC, she established two Tribal Health programs, Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country, and Tribal Practices for Wellness.
Ursula held leadership positions in state health departments in Louisiana, Florida, and New York, and has a PhD in Epidemiology from Yale University, an MPH in Family Health from Columbia University, and a master’s degree in political science from Rutgers University.
Steven Rodgers
Project Officer, CDC Healthy Tribes
Steven Rodgers is a Project Officer at CDC Healthy Tribes. He works with recipients in three cooperative agreements (TECPHI, GHWIC and TPWIC).
In his role, he provides technical assistance to recipients in areas of programmatic activity, budget, and evaluation. Steven has been with the CDC just under 2 years and was previously with Indian Health Service for 16 years as a pharmacist.
CDR Lynette Wasson
Public Health Advisor, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDR Lynette Wasson is a Pharmacist Officer in the USPHS Commissioned Corps. She serves as Public Health Advisor for the Healthy Tribes Program within the Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).
Within the Healthy Tribes Program, CDR Wasson supports a robust portfolio of cooperative agreements that work together to improve outcomes in American Indian/Alaska Native communities to promote health, prevent chronic disease and strengthen cultural connections for health and wellness. Prior to joining the CDC, CDR Wasson served in Clinical Pharmacy and Administrative roles with the Indian Health Service.
Kristen Mitchell
Senior Program Manager, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Alaska Native Epidemiology Center
Dr. Mitchell has over 20 years of experience in public health including program planning, development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. She joined the Alaska Native Epidemiology Center in 2015 and is currently serving as the Senior Program Manager of the Network Coordinating Center for the Tribal Epidemiology Centers Public Health Infrastructure Program.
Rasaki (Ayo) Aranmolate
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Epidemiologist & Georgia Department of Public Health
Rasaki (Ayo) Aranmolate is the Lead on the data linkage project between Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP)and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and analyzes data related to maternal and infant health from complex surveys, and hospitalization datasets, and uses the analytic findings to answer questions on the impact of control substances on infant health to create awareness among health experts. He creates both Monthly and Annual PDMP reports to understand the trends in opioids prescriptions.
In addition, he has taught courses on research methodology, epidemiology, clinical trials, and disease pathogenesis. Rasaki has mentored several undergraduate and graduate students on literature review, poster presentation and statistical analysis.
Shelby Keller
Assistant Coordinator & Senior Prevention Specialist, Oklahoma State University Department of Wellness- Community Wellness
Shelby is the Assistant Coordinator for the TSET Healthy Living Program serving Payne County. They focus on promoting physical activity and nutrition, tobacco cessation, and preventing cardiovascular disease. This grant serves all of Payne county, so they work at the local level.
There are a multitude of ways her team implements their work such as working with bars to sign smoke-free policies, increasing programmatic activities and opportunities, providing wayfinding, helping to create food pantries, and so much more. They network and work with various partners and organizations across the county. Her organization is also responsible for managing our grant: reporting, keeping track of the budget, writing the grant, implementing strategies and objects, etc.
Shelby is involved in many things in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She volunteers with the Ride to Thrive program which is a “keep-a-bike” program through Lake McMurtry. This program teaches underserved students how to ride a bike, maintenance, rules of the road, cycling safety and if they complete the program they get to keep a brand new bike.
Additionally, alongside fellow advocates, Shelby helped create a Bicycle and Pedestrian Ad-Hoc Committee (BPAC) that was appointed by the City of Stillwater. This committee works alongside the city to advocate for residents, increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists, city projects, and works on their own projects.
Shelby is a recent graduate of Leadership Stillwater Class 32, which is hosted by the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce. She is a lover of bikes and sports, so you can catch me riding through the gravel hills or playing softball in one of the various leagues she plays in. Last but not least, Shelby is a 2022 graduate from the University of Central Oklahoma with a bachelor’s in public health and is currently pursuing a master’s in public health from Oklahoma State University. Roll ‘chos and go pokes!
Preti Chowdhury
Study Project Manager at Wayne State University
With a robust background in public health, Preti has completed internships at the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh, working on projects ranging from SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater to healthcare administration and maternal and child health. She conducted an extensive data analysis and improved patient care, earning an honorable mention for the Williams-Hutchins Health Equity Award from the University of Pittsburgh’s CDC Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program, along with presenting her findings to the CDC showcase multiple times on a variety of different projects.
As a project manager at the School of Medicine at Wayne State University, Preti oversees a comprehensive research study in occupational health, focusing on the impact of PM2.5 air pollution on the health of Metro Detroit residents. Her responsibilities include conducting outreach and collaborating with clinical advisors and providers.
Preti leads a multidisciplinary team, manage data collection and analysis using tools like Microsoft Excel, Python, and SAS, and ensure the integrity and accuracy of our findings. Additionally, she presents research results to stakeholders and funding entities, such as the CDC and NIOSH, and works on budget planning and grant writing to support their initiatives. Their study aims to highlight the health implications of air pollution and inform policy and intervention strategies to improve public health outcomes in disadvantaged communities.
Jeff Wallace
OK2SHARE Coordinator, Regional Health Consultant, Oklahoma State Department of Health
Mr. Wallace has 40 years’ experience working with federal, state, and local data. He has worked extensively with Census, education, and health information. Mr. Wallace has worked for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability, and currently works in the Center for Health Statistics in the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
Mr. Wallace has a BS in Statistics from Oklahoma State University, is a Certified Public Manager, and holds a teaching certificate in Mathematics. His hobbies include riding motorcycles and bicycles.
LaKaija Johnson
Principal Scientist, Sage Bionetworks
Dr. LaKaija Johnson is a population health scientist, educator, and strategist with over a decade of experience leading and evaluating the implementation of strategies to build capacity and strengthen infrastructure to advance systems change in academic, government, and non-profit settings.
Dr. Johnson currently serves as a Principal Scientist in Team Science at Sage Bionetworks, where she provides leadership on how to implement and evaluate best practices for collaboration building and team science on the Science Coordination & Community Engagement team.
Dr. Johnson’s career is built on a passion for health equity and social justice that she leverages to identify opportunities to take collective action by implementing innovative evidence-based strategies, programs, and policies to create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive research and practice environments.
Elizabeth Kruger
Lead Epidemiologist, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board
Elizabeth Kruger is the Epidemiology Team Lead for the Oklahoma Tribal Epidemiology Center, at the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board.
She has worked in public health and private sectors for over two decades. Her background includes computer science-programming, epidemiology, biostatistics, occupational and industrial hygiene.
James Cutler
Biostatistician, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board
James Cutler has been working as a biostatistician since 2020, when he earned his MS in biostatistics from the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health. He has experience in public health and biomedical research.
James has contributed to several peer-reviewed publications and presentations in medicine and statistical methods, and has experience in generalized linear models, survival analysis, Bayesian methods, and non-parametric methods.
Luis Ambrosio
Epidemiologist, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board
Luis Ambrosio recently graduated from the Hudson College of Public Health, where he received a master’s degree in public health. Currently, he works as an epidemiologist at the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board. In the past, he has been involved in programs and grants related to minority health, nutrition, sexual health, and COVID-19 response.
Muneeb Amin
Epidemiologist, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board
Muneeb Amin graduated with a master’s in public health from the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health in 2023. He focused on epidemiology in his graduate program and is currently an epidemiologist at the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board.
He was a student intern at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, where he analyzed trends on pediatric cancer survivors using SAS, as well as performing data linkages with the Oklahoma Central Cancer Registry and the Social Security Death Index.
Martino Boggs
Epidemiologist, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board
Martino is a biostatistician at the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board. I studied mathematics and computer science at the University of Oklahoma and earned his master’s degree in statistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023. Martino enjoys working with data and helping people make sense of it.
