Meet our Fall 2014 Graduates

Tomorrow, five students will graduate with a MSW MPH dual degree.  Read more about each of them below.  Congratulations Graduates!

MPH Poster Day, December 2014.  From l to r:  Prashikshya Karki, Kelly Ryder, Hannah Demmitt, Melissa Middlebrook, Mumbi Mwaura

Hannah Demmitt, MSW, MPH (Dec ’14).  Ms. Demmitt completed her integrated public health and social work field placement at The Tree House, an organization working to strengthen communities by reducing the occurrence and impact of child abuse through counseling, educating, supporting and nurturing children and families.  There, she utilized public health skills to launch a community social marketing campaign against child abuse and assisted in the implementation of a new community-based program.  She utilized her social work skills to complete forensic interviews and provided individual counseling to children using trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.

Ms. Demmitt’s career goals are to combine her compassion for children with her skills in public health by focusing her efforts on issues related to maternal and child health, either nationally or internationally.  Her interests include working to provide children access to basic needs such as clean water, vaccination, and a safe environment.  Ms. Demmitt’s passion for justice and equality is what keeps her focused and driven to achieve her lofty goals.

View Ms. Demmitt’s LinkedIn profile.

Prashikshya Karki, MSW, MPH (Dec ’14).  Ms. Karki completed her integrated public health and social work placement at Advantage Behavioral Health where she assisted in evaluation, quality improvement, and conducting needs assessments and other clinical activities in a drug court project, as well as participated in individual and group therapy sessions.

Ms. Karki is interested in mental health promotion and reduction of comorbidities and interactions between mental and physical (ill) health. 

Melissa Middlebrook, MSW, MPH (Dec ’14).  Ms. Middlebrook completed her integrated field placement at AIDS Athens where she assisted agency social workers in clinical case management and supportive services for clients and their families infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.  She also assisted with testing and prevention outreach throughout the community and collaborated with the local HIV clinic to conduct a social networks testing strategy to identify new positives to link to care. 

Ms. Middlebrook’s long-term goal is to work in the HIV/AIDS field, specifically in prevention education, outreach, and research.  She also plans to complete a yoga teacher training upon graduation in hopes of working with patients to apply the mind body connection to managing depression, anxiety, medical issues and pain management.

Visit Ms. Middlebrook’s LinkedIn profile.

Mumbi Mwaura, MSW, MPH (Dec ’14).  Ms. Mwaura will be joining the Direct Action and Research Training Center, Inc. as a Community Organizer in Daytona, Florida, in January 2015. 

In this role, she will help build power for justice by building relationships of trust among clergy and lay leaders from diverse backgrounds, deepen their participation in the work of their congregation's justice ministry, train them in basic community organizing skills, and engage them in research of viable solutions to community problems.

Ms. Mwaura completed her integrated public health and social work placement at Clarke County Early Head Start/ Head Start where she provided education, support, and training opportunities for parents whose children had chronic illnesses.  In addition, she assisted children and parents in meeting their health and family goals. 

View Ms. Mwaura's LinkedIn profile.

Kelly Ryder, MSW, MPH, CPH (Dec ’14).  Ms. Ryder will be joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February 2015 as a fellow through the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services (CSELS) – Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development (DSEPD) Public Health Informatics Program.  She will support the design, development, and evaluation of a web-based and mobile user interface for the Information System for Mobile Immersive Learning Environment (I-SMILE) project.  The I-SMILE project will support the learning needs of fellows in applied training programs through by delivering a personalized, just-in-time curriculum.

Ms. Ryder is also Certified in Public Health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. 

View Ms. Ryder’s LinkedIn profile.