Emily Mader is now in her second year as a graduate assistant for CPPA.  Emily is enrolled in a dual degree program, earning a Masters in Public Policy and a Masters in Public Health, both of which she will complete in the spring of 2013. 

Originally from North Carolina, Emily earned a BA in Anthropology and a BA in Archaeology with a minor in Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  During her undergraduate education, Emily had the opportunity to study abroad in Mexico, where she polished her Spanish language skills.  She first developed an interest in public health because of her background in anthropology, noting the overlaps between the two, including the attention to behavioral change and cultural perceptions of disease and health.  When researching the University of Utah’s public health program, Emily learned of the dual degree in public policy and recognized an opportunity to learn new skills and provide a different perspective on public health to use her education in an applied setting.

Before enrolling in graduate school at the U, Emily worked with the American Lung Association of Utah as an Americorps VISTA volunteer.  Her work there involved grant writing, recruiting schools to participate in an asthma education program for low-income students, and assisting with various fundraising events.  Emily also had the opportunity to teach several asthma education classes for children and adults. 

Emily has worked on a number of projects since joining CPPA as a graduate assistant in the fall of 2010.  She has been invaluable to several research and evaluation projects, including a health needs assessment for the Summit County Health Department, a needs assessment for the Utah Department of Health’s Asthma Program, and an evaluation of the University of Utah’s Dietetics program.  In this work with CPPA, she has had the opportunity to gain experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods in an applied setting.  In addition, this year much of Emily’s time with CPPA will be dedicated to the Utah City Management Association’s Benchmarking Project, collecting data that will be used by city managers to support decision-making in strategic planning, performance improvement, and service delivery efficiency. 

After graduation with her MPP and MPH, Emily is interested in working in program development, implementation, and evaluation for a health-related government agency or nonprofit organization.  Her experience with CPPA and the American Lung Association, as well as her strong academic background, will help her succeed in her future endeavors.