Pathways to Public Health: Inside the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Pathways to Public Health
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  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Prospective public health students are invited to explore the vibrant world of public health. "Pathways to Public Health" is dedicated to showcasing the graduate experience at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

  1. FEB 6

    Defining Moments in Public Health: A Student's Reflection

    The journey into public health is often deeply personal. For Justis Gordon, even her name has shaped her path—fueling a passion for finding justice for all within the field of public health. She shares how her family's hopes, combined with her desire to address inequities, guided her academic journey and sparked her interest in understanding health disparities, particularly those affecting African American communities. Justis Gordon is a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, committed to addressing health inequities through research, policy, and community-centered work. During her undergraduate studies, she discovered the critical role of health policy in shaping health outcomes, inspiring her to pursue advanced training in this area. Before beginning her graduate program at the Bloomberg School, she worked in the Massachusetts Health and Human Services Office on cardiovascular disease initiatives. Her background includes analyzing public health policies and exploring innovative models of care, with a focus on reducing disparities in chronic disease management and maternal health. She is particularly interested in community‑based approaches designed to improve health outcomes and advance equity. After graduation, Justis hopes to continue working in public health research and chronic disease prevention, contributing to solutions that create healthier and more just communities.

    13 min

  2. 11/28/2025

    Fueling Advocacy through Public Health Passion

    Jay Franzone started his journey in public health before he even knew what it was. His path to public health began after being labeled with "high-risk homosexual behavior" by a doctor. This experience fueled his advocacy to overturn the federal ban on blood donations from gay men. Jay shares his journey, how he balances work, and what drives his work.   Jay is a Bloomberg Fellow and Master of Public Health (MPH) student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he focuses on violence prevention. As the National Partnerships Manager at Everytown for Gun Safety, Jay builds coalitions with national organizations and leads culturally informed engagement strategies to address the root causes of gun violence.  Now based in Hawai'i, Jay is passionate about dismantling biased health policies and improving access to care in rural and underserved communities.

    10 min

  3. 10/31/2025

    Finding Your Community

    When Thirandie Bambaradeniya, a second year Master of Science (ScM) student in the Environmental Health and Engineering Department  at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health discovered her interest in environmental health in her undegraduate program she realized her passion to help children could be addressed through public health. As a student she's discovered her community, found support among her fellow students, and enjoys diving deep into research. One of her favorite parts of public health is the interdisciplinary approach to research and blending several of her interests.  Her master's thesis research is centered around lead pipe identification in Baltimore City to facilitate clean drinking water and ultimately protect children's health. While not studying and researching, she enjoys the historical and art culture within Baltimore.

    12 min

  4. 09/30/2025

    Finding Hope in the Future of Public Health

    Public Health sometimes doesn't seem like the right path, but after discussions with those in the field, Megan Weil Latshaw, PhD '05, MHS '01 discovered her passion in public health. Now she find hope in the work she sees within her own students.  Dr. Latshaw is the Director of the Master's Degree Programs in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. She serves as the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health as co-Director for Education and on the Steering Committee Member for the Environmental Challenges focus area of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative. Recently, Dr. Latshaw co-lead JHU's Sustainability Plan Steering Committee. Her work focuses on designing healthy communities, connecting environmental health research with the real world, and improving environmental health surveillance (all through a justice and equity lens).

    11 min

  5. 08/29/2025

    Understanding 'the why' of your public health journey

    The journey of public health research is often full of passion and self discovery.  Olajumoke Olarewaju, a 4th-year PhD candidate in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shares who, what, and how her public health journey was impacted and shaped along the way. She opens up about her honest approach to her graduate program and the emotional strength needed for the program.  Her research focuses on the intersection of pregnancy, substance use, and behavioral health. Her PhD dissertation explores how pregnancy experiences shape substance use patterns over the life course, using qualitative methods to center the voices and lived experiences of pregnant and parenting individuals.  Ola holds a Master of Arts in Demography and Population Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she also earned an Honors degree in the same field. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Ladoke Akintola University in Nigeria.  With over ten years of experience in public health interventions, Ola has worked extensively in research and program implementation across Nigeria, South Africa, and the U.S. She has worked with numerous NGOs, including FHI360 and the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), focusing on evidence generation to promote behavior change in areas such as reproductive health, maternal and child health, HIV, malaria, governance, food security, and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).  Ola identifies as a public health researcher and behavioral scientist, passionate about designing strategies that consider people's lived experiences and life events to improve health outcomes in meaningful, contextually relevant ways.    To learn more about applying to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, please visit. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/offices-and-services/office-of-admissions-services/how-to-apply

    24 min

  6. 07/25/2025

    Supporting Students' Passion in Public Health

    An important part of the student journey is the support they received along the way. Michael Ward, Associate Dean for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shares how he became interested in supporting student life. He discusses what prospective students should consider when applying to public health program and what he enjoys most about the Bloomberg School of Public Health.  Dean Ward oversees Admissions, Financial Aid, Records and Registration, Career Services, Disability Support, and Student Life. His work has focused on leading educational experiences as well as enrollment management services for various student populations including: graduate students, international students, studio artists, educators in training, scientists, and many others. Dean Ward has served as a student affairs administrator for over thirty years. Within the community, Dean Ward currently serves on the Elijah Cummings Youth Board.  Dean Ward earned his bachelor's degree in English Literature at the College of St. Francis in Illinois. His master's degree is in higher education administration from Kent State University in Ohio and he is also a certified executive leadership coach.    To learn more about how to apply to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the resources for students, please visit the following- https://publichealth.jhu.edu/offices-and-services/office-of-admissions-services/how-to-apply https://publichealth.jhu.edu/offices-and-services/office-of-student-affairs/student-life Request information about programs to match your interests

    10 min

  7. 06/27/2025

    The Superpower of Experience: Starting a Graduate Program as an Older Student

    Deciding to go back to school later in life can be intimidating, but for those passitionate about the field of public health, graduate school may be the best decision. Soumya Menon, a rising 2nd year Master of Health Science (MHS)  in Health, Behavior, and Society student in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shares her experience of wantingto go back to school after years of experience and what she's learned along the way. As a communications professional and first-generation Indian American woman, Soumya's serendipitous research work in health communication fortified her interest in public health. Having previously worked with rural communities in India, she knows first-hand the challenges in accessing, processing, and translating information to adopt health protective behaviors.   Soumya is currently working as a Research Assistant in the REACT Lab led by Dr. Meghan Moran, Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society. Soumya's research focuses on investigating advertising and marketing tactics of oral nicotine pouch brands on social media in the context of politics and pop culture.   Soumya's background in communication, personal experiences, and prior work inform her research interests in communication for health equity and designing and implementing communication interventions grounded in theory and situated in culture and community. Soumya's overall goal is to work at the intersection of communication, health, and public policy, with her main research interest focused on identifying and addressing communication inequalities that contribute to health disparities.  Learn more about how to apply to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

    11 min

  8. 05/16/2025

    Shaping Public Health -bridging oral health and public health policy

    Oral health isn't just about teeth - it's a public health issue. Saana Kataria, a dentist-turned-public health advocate is on a mission to bridge the gap between oral health, policy, and data-driven research.  Trained as a dentist in India, Saana's global experience in dentistry and healthcare across India and the U.S. exposed them to systemic barriers in oral health access. Working in California as a dental assistant and patient treatment coordinator and serving on the board of a Federally Qualified Health Centre (FQHC), Saana witnessed firsthand the challenges state-insured patients faced in receiving timely and adequate dental care.  Now pursuing an MPH at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, concentrating in Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Saana  is using research and advocacy to push for systemic change in oral health policy. They work as a research assistant at the Institute of a Global tobacco control at Johns Hopkins   At Hopkins, Saana isn't just studying public health, they're shaping it. As the Founder & President of the Johns Hopkins Oral Health Society, they are leading efforts to put oral health on the public health agenda. They've testified before the Maryland Legislature, hold leadership roles in the Student Assembly and APHA Student Assembly, and worked on the Global Oral Health Symposium at Hopkins in collaboration with Solidarity Dental and the Center for Global Health.

    18 min
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Prospective public health students are invited to explore the vibrant world of public health. "Pathways to Public Health" is dedicated to showcasing the graduate experience at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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