Students

Graduate Student Voices: Reflections from Planned Parenthood Capitol Day 2024

April 23, 2024
Indira D’Souza

All opinions and political endorsements expressed are my own and are not affiliated with the Center of Excellence in MCAH at UC Berkeley.

While completing my undergraduate degree at the University of California, Davis, I was fortunate to become involved in the campus community by joining student-led organizations. In my first year, I was invited by a close friend to join Students for Reproductive Freedom (SRF) at UC Davis, the Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) and Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE) chapter....

Undergraduate Highlight: Nora Lopez and Sunsaara Shergill

April 26, 2024

All of the students featured in this section are graduating seniors who are a part of our second cohort of Advanced LEAP Scholars 2022-24. Read below to learn more about Nora and Sunsaara’s undergraduate experiences at UC Berkeley!

...

Julie Grassian ('24) Presents at AMCHP Conference

April 19, 2024
Julie Grassian
See Julie's poster here. As a current CoE trainee and former LEAP scholar, it was such an honor to attend and present at the 2024 Annual Maternal Child Health Programs Conference. As a volunteer for the event, as well as a poster presenter, I was able to connect with so many different MCAH leaders and organizations from around the country. As a prior Title V intern, I was able to...

Hui Zou (expected, '24) reflects on internship with Kaiser

January 22, 2024
Crystal Htwe & Hui Zou

Hui Zou is a second-year student in our Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health MPH program. Hui is a Double Bear who completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology, where she was first introduced to the world of MCAH while working as a research assistant for an egg donor research project at UCSF. This fueled her passion for maternal health, leading her to delve further into women's reproductive choices using assisted reproductive technology and the impact of laws on individual decisions. Recently, Hui completed an internship at Kaiser Permanente, where she played a pivotal role in...

Joel Rubio (expected, '24) Presents at APHA Conference: A Reflection

December 20, 2023
Joel Rubio

Read Joel's poster here.

As a first-time participant, it was an honor to present at the 2023 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo held in Atlanta, Georgia. During the conference, I had the opportunity to engage with fellow public health experts from across the U.S. and around the world. Whether it was a business meeting, a round table discussion, or a presentation on topics such as...

2023 MCAH Alumni Event: Undergraduate LEAP Scholar Reflection

December 18, 2023
Angie Zhao

The MCAH Alumni Community & Networking Event is an annual gathering organized by UC Berkeley’s Center of Excellence (COE) in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) with the purpose of creating opportunities for networking, reconnection, and celebrating MCAH achievements. As an undergraduate MCAH LEAP scholar, I had the privilege of serving as a student assistant and attending the event this year on October 29th at...

From Classroom to Research Symposium: My Reflections on the University of Washington and UC Berkeley's MCAH Cross-Campus Event

May 17, 2023
Angie Zhao

The collaborative event with UC Berkeley’s Center of Excellence in Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (COE in MCAH) and University of Washington’s (UW) Epidemiology - Maternal and Child Health program(link is external) was a thought-provoking day offering deep insights into my journey towards becoming a future MCAH public health practitioner and researcher...

The Public Health Impact of Gun Violence

November 8, 2023
Sunsaara Shergill

Late October, Sunsaara Shergill (Advanced LEAP Scholar, Class of 2024) hosted The Public Health Impact of Gun Violence: A Perspective from the United Kingdom after the Dunblane Primary School Tragedy with the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) LEAP program of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and non-profit Americans Against Gun Violence. Sunsaara welcomed Dr. Michael North for a discussion regarding the impact of gun violence on MCAH...

Undergraduate LEAP Scholar Summer Reflection

August 11, 2023
Angie Zhao

During the summer between my junior and senior years, I completed an internship with Beyond the Pill, a program of the Bixby Center at the University of California, San Francisco. It was exciting to have this opportunity to spend my summer at this esteemed research department dedicated to Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH), with the goal of promoting access and equity in contraceptive healthcare and the mission of addressing social determinants of health for underserved populations.

Over...

Navigating Professional Growth as a First-Generation Scholar in STEM

November 8, 2023
Nora Lopez

In my final year at UC Berkeley, I embarked on a personal mission to enhance my professional development. This mission led me to attend three conferences this Fall semester: the Stanford Regen Med Conference, UC Davis Pre-Health Conference, and the SACNAS NDiSTEM Conference.

At the Stanford Regen Med Conference, I engaged in networking opportunities with professionals and peers in STEM fields, fostering an understanding of diverse career paths and engaging in a resume review by Stanford researchers that increased my readiness to apply to research opportunities....