College of Public Health Student Association
The College of Public Health Student Association at the University of Iowa was established to expand opportunities in professional development and outreach, discuss student issues, and create a greater sense of community for all students in the College of Public Health.
Aims and Functions
- Develop a sense of community among all students and staff in the College of Public Health
- Coordinate communication among student organizations in the College of Public Health
- Expand opportunities for student professional development
- Facilitate student dialogue with local, state, and national organizations
Membership
Membership is open to all students enrolled in a CPH degree program. Contact an officer for more information. Meetings are held once a month.
Officers
Thuy Nguyen - President
Thuy is originally from Cedar Rapids, IA. She graduated from the University of Iowa in 2007 with a BS in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Physics in Medicine. She is currently a second year MS student in Epidemiology. Her current research projects include antiretroviral resistance in HIV-treatment naïve patients and visual cognition in the Iowa Healthy and Active Minds Study. In addition to CPHSA, she is Vice President of the Epidemiology Student Association. Thuy is excited to welcome new students, network and promote public health in the community.
Contact email: thuy-v-nguyen@uiowa.edu
Mehwish Qasim -Vice President
Mehwish is originally from Chicago, IL. She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and an MPH in Health Services Management. She is currently a second year PhD student in the Department of Health Management and Policy, and is interested in health information technology use in hospital networks. She has several years experience in emergency management and has developed emergency operation plans in previous work.
Contact email: mehwish-qasim@uiowa.edu
Andrew Koons – Treasurer
Andrew Koons is originally from Dubuque, Iowa. He has received a JD, and a BBA, with an additional major in Communication. He is pursuing his MHA from the HMP department at the UI College of Public Health. He also serves as Treasurer for UI’s Graduate Student Senate. Several of his academic areas of interest are health care regulation, economics, operations efficiency, and organizational communication.
Contact email: andrew-koons@uiowa.edu
Eric Ammann – Communications Chair
Eric is from Des Moines, IA. He studied English, philosophy, and secondary English education at the University of Iowa. He is currently a second-year MS student in Epidemiology. His research interests include the epidemiology of chronic diseases, drug effectiveness and safety, and social determinants of health. His master’s preceptorship involves research on the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and cognitive aging. He works as a research assistant at the Health Effectiveness Research Center (HERCe).
Contact email: eric-ammann@uiowa.edu
Lauren Erickson – Social Co-Chair
Lauren is originally from Mt. Pleasant, IA. She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2009 with a B.A. in Biology and Spanish and a minor in Chemistry. She is currently a second year MPH student in Community and Behavioral Health and is interested in designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions, as well as the intersection between behavioral health and health policy.
Contact email: lauren-erickson@uiowa.edu
Justin Dedecker – Social Co-Chair
Justin is originally from Ames, Iowa, and graduated from Iowa State University with a BS in psychology. He worked for approximately two years in a Psychiatric Medical Institute for Children (PMIC) before starting the MPH in Policy program. Since coming to the University of Iowa he has added the Master of Health Administration. Currently, he is a member of Iowa's Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Project (I-LEND) and looks forward to the professional growth offered through both his classes and the I-LEND program.
Contact email: justin-dedecker@uiowa.edu
Katherine Jones – Student Mentor-Mentee Program Coordinator
Katie is from Cedar Rapids, IA. She graduated from Grinnell College in 2009 with a BA in History. She is currently a second year MPH student in Community and Behavioral Health. She works for the Iowa Cancer Consortium and the MPH department. She is interested in health disparities, chronic disease prevention, sexual assault and domestic violence prevention, and health communication.
Contact email: katherine-jones@uiowa.edu
Andrew Lowe – Student Resource Director
Andrew was born in Champaign, Illinois and grew up in St. Louis and the Washington DC area. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 2010 with a B.S. in Public Health. Andrew is currently in his second year of medical school and will formally begin his M.P.H. next summer. His interests include health policy and multidisciplinary health systems improvement.
Contact email: andrew-lowe@uiowa.edu