Tell me about yourself.
“I grew up in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and played soccer, hockey, golf, and the cello. I went to Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN for undergrad because it allowed me to keep those activities going. I got my MPA and PhD at Indiana University, and I worked in a variety of jobs during and after my graduate studies—from teaching English in Romania to managing an ice rink in Southern California.”
What was that moment in your life when you decided you wanted to study public health?
“I’ve always been a big-picture thinker. I studied history in undergrad because it helped me see trends over time. When I went to grad school, I was really drawn to topics like democracy, political independence, and community and economic development. I realized we can’t talk about these topics without focusing on health.”
What’s your research focus?
“My work focuses on shared decision-making, which bridges the clinical world with the community. We advocate for patients and their preferences while still incorporating evidence-based practices. My research examines humanizing care between patients and clinicians by looking at health literacy, implicit bias, communication, and equity.”
What do you enjoy about working with students?
“I love how passionate our students are—many of them go into public health to advocate for causes they care about. These students come to class fired up, and I help them think critically and nurture that fire. Together, we can turn that passion into action.”
What does the framing of education as activism mean to you?
“Education as activism means that, through knowledge and engagement, we challenge each other—and the systems around us—to do better. It’s about advocating for what you care about through evidence-based methods, like addressing racism or reducing health disparities. For public health, that means grounding our work in narrative, lived experience, and community. Anyone pursuing their education must be critical of the world around them.”
Tell me one thing about yourself that most people don’t know.
“I usually arrive early and stay late when I travel to conferences so that I can drive around the city. I love driving and the autonomy it gives me. It’s also a great way to get acquainted with the area! So I’ll typically use a car-sharing service like Turo and look for Porsches to drive.”
What do you like about living in Minnesota?
“I love the four seasons in Minnesota because they’re so intense. It’s a rollercoaster, and I like having that range from fierce winters to beautiful summers. I also appreciate the culture here, because Minnesotans lean in to whatever is happening. Take the State Fair: you never hear someone say, ‘Yeah, I stopped by the fair for an hour.’ No! You went all day and ate 15 ears of corn and a bucket of cookies! I love that energy.”
