Brown Undergraduates Named Milken Institute Future Health Leaders

Kaitlyn, who completed her undergraduate studies in May, will be staying at Brown to complete the MPH program this Fall. The Pueblo, Colorado native says she is drawn to public health “because it engages people from different disciplines to work together to uncover the root cause of complex health issues and develop practical solutions.”

Kaitlyn’s research is focused on food insecurity and nutrition. She is an Evaluation Coordinator for the Rhode Island Public Health Institute's Food on the Move program and she’s worked extensively with the RI Public Health Association to develop and publish data briefs on food insecurity in the state and the importance of federal hunger programs. Kaitlyn is also the recipient of a summer fellowship project, in collaboration with the Swearer Center, aimed at addressing food insecurity among local high school athletes. Her thesis project will explore food insecurity among NCAA collegiate student athletes. Kaitlyn hopes to pursue a PhD in the future and to address food insecurity on a population level.

Huy Nguyen, a senior Biology concentrator at Brown, was born in Vietnam. He immigrated with his family to the US when he was twelve years old. His goal is to become a physician and he believes his Public Health course work is teaching him the importance of social factors on individual health. Huy has learned “the importance of thinking about health as a manifestation of both biological and social processes.” He’s excited about the networking and collaboration opportunities the Milken Institute’s Future Health Leaders Program will provide and finds the ‘Mental Health and Wellness’ pillar of the Milken Institute especially interesting. “I hope to improve access to mental health care for marginalized people,” he said, “and to revise current frameworks in the mental health profession that do not have a social justice component. The Future Health Leaders Program is a great opportunity for me.” 

Lydia Haile is a senior Public Health concentrator whose parents are Ethiopian immigrants. She is interested in global health and hopes to work on program design and project implementation in developing countries, particularly in her parents' home country. Lydia is excited about Milken’s Future Health Leaders Program because, not only is it dedicated to the development of the public health workforce, but also to each of the participants individually. “I’m looking forward to working with public health organizations in a hands on fashion,” she said, “and I’m excited to see how this work will shape my understanding of the field and future avenues in public health.”