MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Over 60 Middle Tennessee State University Public Health Program alumni and students attended the second annual “PHamily Dinner Reception” and awards ceremony held Oct. 9 at the MT Center on campus.

The event brought together faculty, students, and alumni to celebrate career achievements ahead of the Tennessee Public Health Association Conference that took place at Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro later that week.

“We knew many of our alumni would be in town for the conference, so we wanted a chance for our students to interact with public health professionals who were just in their shoes as an MTSU student a few years ago,” said Chipper Smith, a public health lecturer who coordinated the awards reception. “We were also excited to highlight the achievements of our alumni who are making an impact throughout all corners of Tennessee.”

Early Career Award winners

Alumni Gabiral Cathey and Claire Robinson were presented the MTSU Public Health Early Career Award. This award recognizes graduates within the last five years who have demonstrated excellence in their career through a significant contribution to public health through professional growth, community impact, research, leadership, or innovative projects.

Cathey, who serves as senior project coordinator for the MTSU Office of Prevention Science and Recovery, earned her undergraduate degree in public health in 2020. In this role, Cathey manages staff responsible for over $5.5 million in grant-funded opioid use disorder interventions over the next three years across Tennessee.

Robinson, an epidemiologist at the Tennessee Department of Health, is a 2021 graduate of the Master of Public Health program. In her role as epidemiologist, Robinson has helped to establish the COVID-19 Outbreak and Cluster Team and has worked over 330 clusters in high-risk settings, such as assisted living facilities.

Presenters spotlighted

Two members of the program who presented at the annual Tennessee Public Health Association Conference that week were also spotlighted.

Student Sara Rodriguez Molina presented a poster titled, “Examining the Mental Health Landscape in Veterinary Practice,” and Kahler Stone, associate professor of public health, spoke on a substance use panel on “Temporal and Comparative Analysis of Drug Use Stigma Among Rural Law Enforcement and Community Members in Rural Tennessee.”

The program also highlighted two alumnae who were elected as part of the Tennessee Public Health Association board of directors.

Leaders celebrated

LaShan Dixon, director of the Tennessee Department of Health Office of Faith-Based and Community Engagement, was elected president of the organization. Kaysi Paul, a Prevention Coalition for Success prevention specialist, will serve as vice president of the Middle Tennessee Region of the organization.

Alumni from the doctorate in human performance, health concentration, include higher education faculty who teach at Tennessee State University, Belmont University, Lipscomb University, and Tennessee Wesleyan University. Master of Public Health alumni have a large presence at the Tennessee Department of Health as fellows, epidemiologists, program coordinators and program directors.

Since 2023, the MTSU Public Health program has been nationally accredited through the Council on Education for Public Health at the bachelor’s and master’s level.

The program offers three different degrees and two minors. Students can earn a bachelor’s in public health, master’s in public health (community health concentration), and a Ph.D. in human performance (health concentration) with minors in public health and health care administration.

For program updates, visit https://linkedin.com/company/mtsu-public-health/.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)