Alumni News - December 2025

Livia Cox, MPH ’25, was awarded the Winston Health Policy Fellowship, one of only two in the country to receive this prestigious award. The fellowship, based in Washington, D.C., helps fellows gain hands-on experience in health policy development by working directly with policymakers in both the public and private sectors.

Nabarun Dasgupta, PhD, MPH ’03, was named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow, winning a “genius grant” for creative and effective harm reduction work. The MacArthur Foundation noted Dasgupta, an epidemiologist, combines science with community engagement in a way that lowers deaths and other afflictions from drug use.

In 2007, while working on his PhD at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, Dasgupta co-founded Project Lazarus. The nonprofit cleared a path for doctors in Wilkes County, N.C. to prescribe naloxone, greatly reducing overdose deaths in the county. He became a senior scientist at UNC’s Injury Prevention Research Center and in 2020 was named the first Gillings Innovation Fellow at UNC. That same year he co-founded Remedy Alliance/For the People, which has removed barriers to naloxone access and become a low- and no-cost wholesaler. Through his Opioid Data Lab, he has developed a nationwide network for checking the ingredients in street drugs.

Dasgupta, 46, said his time at YSPH “was instrumental” in setting him on the course he has pursued and in particular Dr. Robert Heimer, PhD ’98 (pharmacology), professor of epidemiology (microbial diseases) and of pharmacology, without whom “I would not be doing this work.”

Hartwick College of Oneonta, NY, announced William Eger, MPH ’21, was named its Alumni Association's Outstanding Recent Alumnus. Eger earned his Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology of microbial disease, global health. This award recognizes graduates who have demonstrated outstanding and sustained volunteer service to the college. Eger is a doctoral student in interdisciplinary research on substance use at the University of California-San Diego. He served as an adjunct professor at San Diego State University and the University of New Haven.

Cheryl Fattibene, MPH ’90, MSN ’90, recently published the book, “Successful Nurse Practitioner Role Transition – A Practical Guide.” The book covers the many factors to consider whether starting as a new nurse practitioner (NP) or as an established NP looking to make a change. The practical guide includes chapters on NP job search considerations, cover letter and resume writing, navigating the interview and negotiation process, credentialing, legal issues, career reassessment, and a special chapter on documentation, billing, and coding. The book includes examples of resumes, cover letters, and negotiation strategies to take the guesswork out of the job search process.

Tista Ghosh, MPH ’04, has released her first book, published by Columbia University Press. “Before the Next Crisis, Untold Stories of Public Health and Why They Matter” is a mix of real stories and public health insights from across the country, including reflections on what went right (and wrong) during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how we can better prepare for future threats. The book features interviews with people from all walks of life—nurses, public health workers, police officers, grocery store managers—and is meant to be a call to action for a stronger and more equitable health system. Ghosh is a physician, epidemiologist, and award-winning health journalist. She has served as the chief medical officer for the state of Colorado, an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, and an appointee to the U.S. Community Preventive Services Task Force.

Congratulations to Tassos Kyriakides, PhD ’99, recently nominated for the 2025 Bank of Cyprus Man of the Year Awards in the category of Scientist. These awards, now in their 23rd year in Cyprus, reward those who have excelled and distinguished themselves in their field, both for their achievements and their spirit, ethos, and character as leaders. Kyriakides was also recently in the news for conducting a study for the North American Olive Oil Association. The initiative was the largest of its kind in the U.S. and looked at a sampling of 153 olive oils from leading brands to determine any instances of adulteration. His work revealed no instances of adulteration when tested against International Olive Council standards.

Jeannee Parker Martin, MPH ’83, was appointed to the California Commission on Aging. Martin has been president and chief executive officer at LeadingAge California since 2016. She held several roles at The Corridor Group Holdings LLC from 1995 to 2023, including vice chair and principal of the Board of Managers, chief executive officer, president and owner. Martin is a member of the International Women's Forum and Women Business Leaders in Health Care.

Keshia Pollack Porter, MPH ’02, was recently appointed as the 12th dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She joined the Bloomberg School faculty as an associate professor in 2006 and became a full professor in 2017. She directs the Institute for Health and Social Policy and served as the school's vice dean for faculty. She has also led the Health Policy Research Scholars, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, that trains doctoral students from various disciplines to effectively apply their research to help build healthier and more equitable communities. As chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management, she strengthened faculty mentoring and development and recruited faculty in key areas. "I am beyond honored to become the 12th dean of the Bloomberg School of Public Health," Pollack Porter said. "I am thrilled to partner with faculty, staff, students, alumni, the university, and the larger global and local communities to promote optimal health and well-being for all. The work that we do in public health is now, more than ever, critically important. I am confident that together we will build on the Bloomberg School's renowned history and continue to pioneer new research, translate and disseminate knowledge to inform policy and practice, and educate today's and tomorrow's leaders."

Linda Rabeneck, MD, MPH ’90 was recently appointed to the Order of Canada. The Order of Canada is presented by the governor general and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community, and service to the nation. The citation states: "Gastroenterologist and University of Toronto Professor Linda Rabeneck is a leader in colorectal cancer screening and prevention. As Ontario Health's vice president of prevention and cancer control, she led the roll-out of ColonCancerCheck, the first province-wide colorectal cancer screening program in the country. Its success influenced the development of similar programs across Canada and around the world." She is both thrilled and humbled to receive this honor and has fond memories of her time at Yale.

Anita Ravi, MPH ’05, CEO and founder, PurpLE health Foundation, was recently named a 2025 L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth Honoree. For 20 years this award has honored women who uplift their communities through service. PurpLE Health Foundation (PHF), is an innovative nonprofit creating a new field of medicine—gender-based violence (GBV) care—focusing on women who have experienced domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault. PHF advances this work through a “Care and Share” model that turns lessons from its pioneering clinic into training for clinicians worldwide.

When Alexander Urry, MPH ’19, enrolled at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH), he was searching for flexibility. Trained as a biochemist at Occidental College, he had spent many long days in a lab studying parasites and preclinical therapies. But he craved a career that would bring him closer to people and have a more immediate and tangible impact. At YSPH, he found an interdisciplinary education that allowed him to explore health care management, policy, and community service all at once.

That foundation proved essential when Urry arrived in Washington, D.C. as a Winston Health Policy Fellow in August of 2019. He joined the office of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, advising on health, veterans, and nutrition issues. Today, he serves as Senior Policy Advisor to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, where he manages portfolios spanning health care, agriculture, nutrition, and the federal budget. Looking back, Urry credits his health care management MPH with preparing him for the unexpected challenges of policy work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was able to quickly brief senior leadership on epidemiology and vaccine science.

Urry returned to YSPH in September to speak with Dean Megan Ranney about his time at YSPH and experiences in Washington, D.C. as part of the Dean’s Leaders in Public Health Speakers Series.