MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — From celebrating three consecutive years of enrollment growth to recognizing outstanding alumni, Middle Tennessee State University’s Public Health Program had plenty to celebrate during its fourth annual PHamily Dinner.

Held on Wednesday, Sept. 23, the dinner brought together about 100 alumni, students, faculty and friends of the program, including more than 30 alumni and over 30 current students.

“I look forward to this event all year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with alumni and celebrate their accomplishments, while also introducing them to current students who are interested in pursuing a similar path,” said Bethany Wrye, interim chair of the Department of Health Sciences. “We are very fortunate to have amazing alumni who are doing some really interesting work, and I just love seeing the lightbulb moments when current students see what their future could hold and connect with people who are eager to help them get there.”

The gathering highlighted the program’s continued growth and the establishment of MTSU’s new Department of Health Sciences in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences. The Master of Public Health Program is now full, continuing a three-year growth trend.

The Student Public Health Association also highlighted its research and professional development activities during the dinner and launched a new fundraising effort.

Alumni spotlighted

Three alumni received Early Career Awards recognizing their accomplishments since graduating from MTSU.

Alondra Serrano, a 2024 graduate, went on to earn her Master of Public Health from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and works as a part-time research assistant. Her interests include nutrition epidemiology, gastrointestinal cancer research and addressing health disparities. She is now an epidemiology fellow in Emory University’s Rollins Epidemiology Fellowship Program, where she will spend the next two years supporting applied epidemiology efforts in the North Georgia Health District.

Mya Gray, a 2023 graduate, is the STI/HIV Program coordinator for the Metro Nashville Health Department. She began working as a disease intervention specialist just one week after graduating from MTSU, providing case management for Davidson County residents diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections and volunteering at Tennessee State University and Fisk University to promote sexual health and free testing.

Graduate award recipient Chipper Smith, a 2022 graduate, began his career in public health on the front lines of the COVID-19 response while earning his Master of Public Health at MTSU. He later coordinated a CDC-funded grant at the Tennessee Department of Education focused on improving health in rural Tennessee school districts and subsequently worked in opioid addiction prevention and recovery with MTSU’s Office of Prevention Science and Recovery before joining the Department of Health Sciences as a lecturer.

“The Master of Public Health program’s strong relationships with government and community partners is exactly what gave me a chance to launch my career equipped with workforce experience before graduating,” Smith said. “Now, getting a chance to help undergraduate students earn similar experience is such a special opportunity.”

The celebration continued Sept. 23-25 as MTSU public health students, alumni and faculty participated in the Tennessee Public Health Association’s annual conference.

More than 20 graduate students volunteered at the conference to earn admission, while MTSU was represented by six alumni presentations, four graduate student presentations and two faculty presentations.

Two MTSU alumni also received Tennessee Public Health Association awards. LaShan Dixon, a 2014 graduate and current doctoral candidate, received the Doris Spain Award for Distinguished Service. Casie Higginbotham, a 2006 graduate, was named Public Health Worker of the Year.

Together, the events showcased the growing MTSU public health community — from students beginning their careers to alumni leading public health efforts throughout Tennessee and beyond.

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected])