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Marisa Rosen, MPH

Marisa Rosen, MPH

Marisa Rosen, MPH

Student Highlight: Marisa Rosen, MPH

Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Degree Program/Concentration: Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research

What brought you to the field of public health? I came to public health in a roundabout way. When I was an undergrad at the University of Delaware, I had the intention of studying both International Relations and Pre-Med so I could ultimately work for Doctors Without Borders. Those plans quickly changed after my first semester of calculus! Instead of both degrees, I decided to pursue a B.A. in International Relations, however, as part of my coursework, I took a lot of different classes in sociology, anthropology, religious studies, and women’s studies. My first experience with public health came during the summer between my college junior and senior year when I volunteered with a non-profit organization called World Camp as an HIV/AIDS educator. We traveled to Tela, Honduras and conducted outreach and education around HIV prevention with youth in local health clinics and schools. This volunteer experience was the initial spark that led me on the path to the field of public health, but it was a women’s health class my final semester senior year where I truly learned what public health was and that it was what I wanted to pursue as my career.

What do you like most about the COPH? I would say one of the best things about COPH is the student to faculty ratio and the dedication faculty has to student growth and development. I’ve had the opportunity to work with different faculty both in and outside of the classroom and in all instances they have been positive experiences that have pushed me to grow as a public health practitioner.

What are your career goals after graduation? My career goals after I graduate fluctuate every day! I would love to work as an evaluator (internal or external) or research scientist for an organization or institution that conducts work around adolescent and women’s reproductive health and family planning.

Three things people may not know about me:

  • I have a one-year-old son named Levi who keeps me on my toes!
  • I have two dogs (chow-lab mixes) and a cat that we adopted from the humane society in Georgia and North Carolina.
  • I love to travel and have visited 14 different countries so far, but would love to travel to many, many more!
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