MPH in Social & Behavioral Sciences Alumni Profiles

Public Health - Social and Behavioral Sciences Alumni Career Profiles

Trying to choose the best career path may be difficult when you have not had real experience in the public health field. There are countless opportunities and paths to pursue, which is why we strive to equip our students with the tools and support they need to choose the public health career best for them.

Our Master of Public Health - Social and Behavioral Sciences alumni working in the field were once prospective students too. Many of them have agreed to share their success stories in hopes of helping you discover a career path you will love. 

Emily Fussell, MPH'22

STD Control Program Manager, Marion County Public Health Department

Emily chose the MPH Social and Behavioral Sciences pathway to expand her public health skill set related to behavior change in a health setting. Her career of choice is in STD prevention and behavior change is a key component of changing disease outcomes related to sexual activity. This pathway gave her a good foundation of program management as well, which enhanced her ability to act as an effective program manager with the county health department.

Read Emily's story

Emily Fussell

Sara Suisman, MPH'22

Program Coordinator, Indiana Public Health Association

In May 2019, Sara received her undergraduate degree in psychology from IU Bloomington, and she pictured herself eventually working with clients as a therapist/psychologist. Following her undergraduate career, she worked in a program evaluation role, and during this time, began to realize that she had an overwhelming preference and passion for more upstream, systems change approaches to helping others.

Read Sara's story

Sara Suisman

Felicia Greer, MPH'20

Indiana Birth Defects and Problems, Indiana Department of Health

Felicia chose to pursue an MPH degree with a concentration in social and behavioral science because she knew that’s where her heart was. She has always had a passion for people but specifically individuals and their overall quality of life.

Read Felicia's story

Felicia Greer

Caitlin Pike, MPH'19

Strategic Proposal Writer, Parexel

Caitlin spent several years specializing as a health sciences librarian, where she primarily served the IU School of Nursing. She wanted something to legitimize the healthcare aspects of her work, and public health seemed like a good fit.

Read Caitlin's story

Caitlin Pike

Shirley Payne, MPH'11

Assistant Commissioner of the Public Health Protection Commission, Indiana Department of Health

In her new role, Dr. Payne oversees the Food Protection, Environmental Public Health, Immunization, Lead and Healthy Homes, Emergency Preparedness, and Vital Records Divisions. She is excited about this role, as it allows her to use her skills and expertise in new ways.

Read Shirley's story

Shirley Payne

Mariam Sylla MPH'22

Population Health Fellow, UW School of Medicine and Public Health

Mariam Sylla

Mariam always wanted to be in healthcare. She became interested in education, outreach, and prevention and decided to chose a path in public health. As she worked in the Office of Health and Wellness Promotion at Indiana University Indianapolis, she quickly realized that improving community and population health is her passion. So she decided to pursue an MPH with a concentration in SBS.