Alumni,Environmental Health Sciences

Isabelle Duong wearing her graduation gown

Childhood challenges shape public health advocate's inspiring journey

Isabelle Duong, BS ’24

As a child—as young as 9—Isabelle Duong was thrust into the complexities of healthcare systems. Both of her parents are Vietnamese refugees who fled during the Vietnam War, and navigating the American and Canadian healthcare systems for her mother, who battles lupus, fell on Duong. The experience not only had a great influence on her views of public health but also encouraged her to champion student voices on public health issues.

From left, Katie Romas, holding their daughter and her husband, AJ Pope, holding their son

US Coast Guard officer navigates path to public health

Katie Romas, MPH ’25

Working with the Coast Guard’s Incident Management Assist Team, Katie Romas tackled real-world challenges, ranging from hurricane response to oil spills. These situations required her to coordinate efforts with other agencies, writing safety plans and minimizing environmental impact. She often found herself impressed by the work of industrial hygienists, the specialists who ensure the safety of responders and subsequently the environment during emergencies.

Nahiely Reza

Poverty Solutions RA leads with heritage, community to enrich research

Nahiely Reza, MPH/MSW ’24

Nahiely Reza, MPH/MSW ’24, knew her fluency in Spanish could be an asset to her work at Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan. But she didn’t anticipate some of the ways the language would open up new connections with the communities engaged in the research.

Kate Monti

Health tech founder builds on public health roots to increase access to care

Kate Monti, MPH/MSW ’17

Attending a women’s entrepreneurship event while in graduate school helped launch alumna Kate Monti’s career in digital health and entrepreneurship. Monti, who earned a dual master’s degree in Public Health and Social Work in 2017, is the founder and president of Avela Health.

Devon Payne-Sturges

Championing change in environmental health science policy

Devon Payne-Sturges

Devon Payne-Sturges, professor of Environmental Health Sciences and University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, has never been one to shy away from complex or controversial environmental health issues—she embraces them head-on. In fact, her pursuit motivated her to change careers, go back to school, and ultimately make her way to Ann Arbor after a distinguished career on the East Coast.

Dana Hollins

Lifetime of curiosity leads to passion for industrial hygiene, exposure assessment

Dana Hollins, MPH ’05, CIH

At Michigan Public Health, Dana Hollins discovered her true passion for industrial hygiene and exposure assessment, honing her skills in epidemiology and environmental health, shaping her successful career. Today, as the senior principal health scientist, she leads the Health Sciences Division for Hollins Consulting.