Health Equity

Gretta Rempel Fisher

Community-driven research fuels public health journey

Gretta Rempel Fisher, MPH ’25

Growing up Mennonite in Iowa City, Iowa, deeply influenced Gretta Rempel Fisher’s values and aspirations, emphasizing community, mutual aid and collective well-being. These beliefs, which coincide with public health principles, permeated her education and career choices. Pursuing a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior & Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Rempel Fisher’s roots continue to guide her focus on community-driven research and health equity.

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.

Aparna Reddy sitting on the Henry F. Vaughan Public Health Building sign

Connecting healthcare systems and individual experiences

Aparna Reddy, BA ’24

Aparna Reddy, a first-year MD candidate at Stanford University Medical School, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Community and Global Public Health at Michigan Public Health, immersing herself in courses that emphasized health equity, social determinants of health and community-focused research.

Sania Farooq

Pursuing a medical career with a public health focus

Sania Farooq, BS ’21

Sania Farooq’s coursework at Michigan Public Health involved real-life impact projects such as health education initiatives during COVID-19. These experiences cemented her commitment to a career that marries public health with medicine effectively.