While the members of the Class of 2023 navigated their academic pathways at Lehigh, the College of Health (COH) was launched. Nine students among a graduating class of 1,940 found exactly what they sought inside the newly created programs and crafted schedules that made those majors and courses of study the focus of their experiences and careers. Meet a few.
Cheryl Qin ’23
Community and Global Health and Psychology Dual Degree with a Minor in Marketing
Journey to COH
Qin had a neighbor in her hometown who graduated from Lehigh in 2022 and told her how great it was, so she attended an Admissions event and applied. While she came to Lehigh undecided, she knew she was interested in public health. She took a Health, Medicine, and Society course during her first semester and planned to major in it. Because that major only had eight courses, she also planned to major in psychology. At the same time, she took a business class and enjoyed her marketing course.
But then the COH was announced. After attending an information session, she knew that majoring in the COH would provide her a more comprehensive way to explore public health and be more deeply aligned with her interests. So she dove into 18 credits a semester in order to fulfill the degree requirements.
Focus in COH
During her senior year, she assisted Michael Gusmano, professor of health policy in the COH, in examining how the healthcare system in China has advanced since 2011. The paper from that research will appear in a future edition of the COH research journal.
She also took a community-based research course that focused on the illegal dumping in Bethlehem. It was action-based research as the team looked at the trash problems plaguing the city. She reviewed literature, mapped the areas of concern, and worked alongside community partners and council members.
It culminated in a presentation that combined her strengths in public health and marketing. The team created an interview guide, and consent from that earned approval from the Lehigh Institutional Review Board. Those materials will be used by future COH students who continue to work on this problem and advance a solution.
Capstone
Qin had two field experiences with the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH). Over one summer her anchor project focused on the obesity rates in Lehigh County, which outpace most other Pennsylvania counties. She also studied possible interventions. She remained with PA DOH for a semester-long project. This time she studied the links between public health equity and transportation, looking specifically at access, disparities, and limitations.
What’s Next
Qin is exploring two paths. Of course, she is engaged in public health, but her undergraduate minor has made her curious. So she is interviewing for business and marketing positions. At the same time, she is considering a master’s in management at the Lehigh College of Business. The additional education will help her better understand marketing. Ultimately, she knows she wants to find something that blends public health and corporate leadership.
Advice
"There are so many ways to get involved in the College of Health, so take the time to get to know your professors and classmates, and you'll be able to foster a sense of community here within your undergrad experience," she says.
Emily Grace ’23
Economics and Population Health Dual Degree
Journey to COH
After applying early decision to Lehigh, Grace entered her freshman year of college as a prospective economics major with a strong interest in the medical field, but unsure of how that interest fit into the type of career she desired. As a member of the Eckardt Scholars program, a small cohort of students who are given the opportunity to replace traditional course distribution requirements with two specialized interdisciplinary seminars and a thesis, she had the flexibility to explore her interests. After a semester of economics courses, Grace saw a flier about the opening of the College of Health. After looking into the program further, and while at home during a pandemic, she made the choice to join the COH, and add a degree in population health to her plan of study.
Focus in COH
She jumped right in with classes and research. Grace used her position as one of the few sophomores in the COH to try out several research projects. She spent time on infection modeling with Thomas McAndrew, assistant professor, community and population health, and geographic epidemiology with Hunyok Choi, professor, community and population health,. She also worked to create a chapter of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement on campus with the help of Albert Liu, associate professor, community and population health. These experiences led to a summer internship in healthcare compliance consulting at KPMG following her junior year.
Thesis
Grace used her thesis to combine her two fields of study in an investigation of the fast growing industry of direct-to-consumer telemedicine (DTC), where patients can receive a diagnosis and prescription simply by filling out a survey. She combined a literature review and focus groups with physicians to analyze the risks and benefits of these services. Her research was the first in the field to include physician opinions in the evaluation of these services, and yielded several different concerns about DTC telemedicine than those that were commonly raised in the existing literature on the topic.
What’s Next
Starting this July, Grace will be working as a Healthcare Consultant at Huron Consulting Group in their NYC office. She discovered Huron through Matthew Kravitz ’20 who supported her through her job search and application process. She is looking forward to seeing the growth of the COH in the coming years.
Carson Snyder ’23
Population Health with Minors in Communications and Entrepreneurship
Journey to COH
Snyder came to Lehigh undecided about her major. While she considered pre-med, after taking a few classes in that track, she realized it wasn’t for her. Taking a Health, Medicine, and Society course during the peak of COVID-19 struck a chord. She discussed this with her adviser, who informed her of the COH opening. Snyder took a leap of faith and selected a population health major with a concentration in biostatistics.
Focus in COH
Prior to her junior year, Snyder held a summer internship at LifeScan, a global leader in glucose monitoring and diabetes management. She focused on advanced analytics, specifically on sales data for diabetes devices, and created a business proposal. She then joined Public Health Management Corporation, a nonprofit provider of public health resources, before her senior year and worked on a grant to promote COVID-19 vaccinations. To support that work Snyder was the first recipient of the Linda M. and D. Brooks Zug ’67 Community Health Student Internship Fund, a $1 million endowed fund that provides support to students who take on unpaid internships in the health field.
Capstone
Snyder conducted research across colleges, assisting Haiyan Jia, assistant professor, journalism and communication; Dominic DiFranzo, assistant professor, computer science and engineering; and Eric P. S. Baumer, associate professor, computer science and engineering. The project had her tracking how news outlets framed COVID-19 on Twitter. She concentrated on a subset of that data for her capstone project, conducting a literary review and analysis.
What’s Next
She is in the final interview stages with an offer pending for a position in health analytics.
Advice
“Knock on every door, academically and socially, because there is an opportunity around every corner,” she says.