Meet Meghan Mullon, a self-styled policy wonk who got into public health working with members of Congress to ensure that people have access to basic health needs.

What was that moment in your life when you decided you wanted to study public health?

“My dad is a physician and my mom is a nurse, so there is a strong presence of health careers in my family. Initially, I was the kid who was like, ‘I’m not going to do that!’ But my attitude started to shift after I moved to DC to work on Capitol Hill in 2018. I was a staff assistant for then-Congressman Tim Walz, which was a full-circle moment because I grew up in his district. When he became governor, I moved over to the House’s Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over public health issues. So, I was in a very unique position when COVID hit; I was in the premier policymaking arena for public health policy in the country. That opened my horizons into how public health influences everyone.”

What did you work on during the COVID-19 pandemic?

“I worked on the COVID relief packages, like the American Rescue Plan Act. I was still early in my career, so it was very much a ‘trial by fire.’ I worked as a researcher with the public health team to evaluate how to respond to timely crises. For example, I worked on supporting continuous eligibility for Medicaid during the pandemic, then the subsequent unwinding of it as the emergency declarations ended. But my team didn’t have jurisdiction over everything that impacts public health, like housing. So I realized that there was always going to be a need for policymaking in public health. A lot of issues are interconnected, but the bureaucracy related to working for the government can make it difficult to address those issues, so it requires over communicating, and collaborating to make a meaningful difference.”

What specific issue, problem, or area of research in public health do you care the most about and why?
“I’m a policy wonk, and I have had the privilege of conceptually drafting policies that have become law. But in my job, I get little room to have a specific focus because I need to know a little bit about everything. So what I have really liked about being a student at SPH is exploring more of my interests, like substance use and harm reduction, maternal health, and mental health.”

What laws have you helped pass?

“One law that stands out is reauthorizing the public health workforce loan repayment program, which I find so funny because that was before I decided to study public health! It was in an end-of-year program in 2022, but I don’t think the appropriations committee ever funded it. Otherwise, the COVID relief packages were big projects I worked on, as well as some smaller provisions.”

Why did you choose to come to the U of M School of Public Health? 

“First, I would love to come back to Minnesota eventually. I love Minnesota, and I came out to DC for a very specific purpose, which was to work with Tim Walz, and now Angie Craig. So going to U of M now helps me maintain connections to home. 

Also, when I was looking at schools and programs, I felt really drawn to SPH’s mission statement that “Health is a human right.” It is so simple, yet so indicative of how I wanted to approach health policy. Everything in our country is commodified and health and healthcare are often not treated as rights. You don’t have a statutory right to be covered. You don’t have a right to go to the hospital without a massive bill. You don’t have a right to affordable housing. Approaching health as a right spoke so deeply to me that SPH ended up being the only school I applied to.”

What has been your favorite class so far?

“I really liked PubH 6450: Biostatistics I. I hate math, so I was very scared of this class. But it was not as much math as I thought, and it was so cool to code and build visuals—what we learned ended up being very applicable to the rest of my studies. And the instructor, Laura Le, was awesome. I also liked PubH 6751: Principles of Management in Health Services Organizations taught by Becky Wurtz. We had to complete emergency management training, and as someone working at a place that always feels like there is an emergency, this course was really helpful.”

What do you like to do when you’re not in class or working? 

“I love exploring DC. I have been to almost every museum, and have tried many restaurants. I also love to knit! I have been knitting for over ten years, which helps me stay centered and calm. I recently finished a cardigan that was inspired by Taylor Swift’s Reputation album that I gave to my fiancée’s sister. I don’t really like to make things for myself—it’s just the process of knitting that soothes me.”