Sarah Chen is an undergraduate public health student with core interests in global health and public health policy. She recent answered a few questions about her research interests, work outside of the classroom, and her commitment to advocacy.

Where is your hometown? 

Bettendorf, Iowa.

What is your degree/program of study? 

I am working on my Bachelor of Science in public health with a certificate in human rights and a minor in political science. 

Why did you choose to study public health? What about it interests you? 

When I began my undergraduate studies, I came into public health on a pre-health track. I had always been drawn to the intersection of health, social sciences, and humanities that public health is able to bridge. However, over two years of study, I realized my passion within health stemmed more from addressing health issues at the systemic level rather than the individual medical level. 

Since then, my understanding of public health and interests in the field have grown as I continue to learn. I’ve come to understand public health as the backbone of not only our health system but of society as a whole. This year more than ever, the importance of public health has become increasingly apparent as threats to science and our community well-being have emerged on both a national and global scale. The pursuit of public health is ever so pertinent; I can’t imagine myself in any other field. 

What are your academic and research interests? 

Honestly, all aspects of public health interest me, but if I had to narrow it down, my core interests lie in global health and public health policy and advocacy. Within these broad areas I am more specifically focused on the global food system and migrant worker health. My curiosity to explore food system sustainability stemmed from a course I took in the spring of 2025 called “Why We Eat What We Eat” with Hannah Schultz. Over the course of the class, we had multiple readings that shifted my perspective on the larger economic systems that govern the everyday decisions we make regarding food. The themes I took from the class have shaped my future goals in the field.   

Outside of public health-related courses, both my certificate and minor fit precisely with my public health interests. Much of the work done in public health takes on a human rights framework, as we often regard the right to health as a human right. Human rights and public health are interdependent disciplines that I hope to continue to bridge during my undergraduate studies. I also think that more students within CPH should consider adding the human rights certificate as many of the concepts in the certificate courses have direct correlation to the frameworks we utilize in public health. 

With these academic interests, I hope to complete an honors thesis for my public health degree. Although I have not narrowed down a concrete research question, I plan to examine the health effects of meat packing plants in Iowa and the greater Midwest. I became interested in this issue during my internship as a community health worker where I first noticed this correlation between the immigrant population and the occupational work challenges they face. This topic draws on both extremely relevant public health and human rights challenges in our communities. 

Tell us about some of the activities you are involved in. 

One of my passions outside of class is with the Food Pantry at the University of Iowa. The Food Pantry is a great resource that can be used by any University of Iowa student or employee! I started volunteering during the fall semester of my first year and loved the work and sense of community that was fostered among both the volunteers and visitors. Last year, I served as a lead volunteer, and this upcoming semester I will be working as part of the basic needs staff. I am super excited to work alongside other students also passionate about food equity efforts. 

In the College of Public Health, I serve as the Co-President of the Undergraduate Public Health Organization and I am part of the Undergraduate Ambassadors program where we help engage with potential and incoming undergraduate students. It’s extremely important, especially within the undergraduate cohort, to bring students together and build connections! 

Finally, in the greater Iowa City community, I recently started volunteering at Friendship Community Project which is a non-profit that helps with English among the immigrant and refugee community. As a conversation partner, I help with English through weekly conversation practice with a partner that I am paired with. I think it’s important to engage with both on-campus university clubs as well as community-based organizations. 

Why do you think it is important for students to engage with on-campus and community organizations outside of the classroom? 

Like I touched on previously, it’s important that if students have the opportunity, they engage with both university and community organizations. Especially in public health which takes a community-based approach to developing solutions, it’s vital to have conversations and build relationships outside of campus. 

There are also many ideas and concepts that cannot be learned in the classroom. It’s important to gain experiences that extend outside of class and strengthen you not only academically but personally as well. Community experience can help foster cultural humility and problem-solving skills! 

On-campus and community engagement are also extremely fun! I have built so many great relationships and made so many memories through all my experiences. I encourage everyone to join a club, volunteer, or participate in research if they have the chance too! 

What are your career plans post-graduation? 

After graduation, I plan to apply to the US Fulbright program to teach English in Taiwan. Afterwards, I plan to go back to school to get my master’s in public health with a concentration in either global health or health policy. I also plan to go to law school most likely as a dual degree alongside my MPH.  

What have you enjoyed most about your time at the College of Public Health? 

I am so grateful that I joined the College of Public Health because I have been surrounded by a community full of peers, professors, advisors, TAs who all share the same passions. Since my first year, I have only felt endless support from all those around me. I’ve also made some of my best friends through my classes. Everyone always says it, but it’s true – the College of Public Health is like one big family.