The newest members of the Department of Public Health Sciences arrived at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine with different backgrounds but a shared goal: gaining the knowledge and practical experience needed to improve the health of communities.
The Fall 2026 entering class includes 46 students across nine academic programs and pathways.
Of those, 38 are entering master’s-level programs: 18 in the M.P.H. program, 5 in the accelerated M.P.H. program, 6 in the B.S.P.H./M.P.H. 4+1 program, 5 in the M.S.P.H. program, 2 in the M.S. in Biostatistics program and 2 in the M.S. in Prevention Science and Community Health program. The remaining 8 students are beginning doctoral studies: 3 in biostatistics, 2 in epidemiology and 3 in prevention science and community health.
Heather Rose, M.P.H., senior director of accreditation and doctoral administration for Graduate Programs in Public Health, worked with many of the students throughout the application and enrollment process.
“What stands out about this incoming class is their remarkable blend of academic excellence and personal commitment to public health,” Rose said. “Their collective energy and eagerness to tackle complex real-world health challenges set an inspiring tone for the upcoming academic year.”
From Individual Care to Community Prevention
For Michael Albellar, an incoming M.P.H. student, public health offers an opportunity to address health concerns beyond individual clinical encounters. His interest grew through clinical experiences, particularly in dermatology, where he saw how prevention, education and access influence health outcomes.
As a Filipino American, Albellar also hopes to use his education to improve health outcomes in underserved communities in the Philippines.
“Public health has helped me see the bigger picture: how prevention, education, surveillance and access to care can address health problems before they become more serious and affect entire communities,” Albellar said. “Being able to apply what I learn to improve health in the Philippines would feel like a full-circle moment for me.”
During orientation, Albellar learned about the work of Victor D. Rosenthal, M.D., Ph.D., director of the M.P.H. and M.S.P.H. programs, to prevent health care-associated infections through the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium. The presentation prompted Albellar to contact family members working in health care in the Philippines to explore whether local hospitals and clinics might participate in the initiative.
Anabelle Aiken, an incoming M.S. in Prevention Science and Community Health student, also plans to connect prevention with clinical care. Aiken studied biomedical sciences at Florida State University and aspires to become a physician; she wants her future work to address the factors that influence health before patients require treatment.
Her interests include women’s health, health literacy and preventive interventions for children and adolescents. She is particularly interested in how brief interventions during routine physicals or hospital visits can influence nutrition, physical activity, mental health, sexual health and a patient’s confidence in communicating with health care professionals.
“I don’t want my future role in medicine to start only after someone becomes sick,” Aiken said. “I hope it will shape me into a clinician who does not see treating an illness as the end of patient care, but who continually looks for opportunities to educate patients, assess risks earlier and help prevent avoidable problems in the future.”
Aiken said orientation demonstrated that students would have both the independence to develop their own research interests and access to faculty members prepared to guide them.
Using Data to Improve Health
Other members of the incoming class are interested in using data to address complex questions in health care and population health.
Clara Theresa Keyvani, an incoming M.S. in Biostatistics student, began college as a chemistry major on a premedical track before discovering an interest in statistics. She became drawn to biostatistics because of the role statisticians play in designing clinical studies, interpreting results and ensuring that emerging technologies are used responsibly.
“With biostatistics, statisticians must not only establish the design for clinical research trials, but also interpret the results to generate actionable insights,” Keyvani said. “We add the human accountability needed to understand the data and make appropriate statistical inferences.”
Keyvani’s interests are also personal. During college, her roommate’s glucose-monitoring device malfunctioned, creating a potentially dangerous situation. The experience led Keyvani to consider how frequently these devices fail and how researchers might use data to improve their reliability and protect people living with Type 1 diabetes.
She hopes the program will strengthen her statistical programming and technical reporting skills.
Anna V. Hernandez, M.P.H., is returning to the department as a Ph.D. student in epidemiology after earning her M.P.H. from the Miller School in 2025. Her experience as a graduate research assistant in the CRANE Lab helped develop her interest in cancer epidemiology and lifestyle interventions involving diet and physical activity.
“My goal is to explore cancer registries to identify trends among people with cancer that can then be examined further through clinical research,” Hernandez said. “Knowledge about diet and exercise for the cancer population continues to evolve, and I hope to explore this during my training.”
Hernandez chose to continue at the University of Miami because of opportunities to conduct research within an academic health system. She also valued the ability to collaborate with investigators at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and across UHealth – University of Miami Health System.
Beginning the Graduate Journey
Fall Orientation brought the students together to learn about the department’s academic programs, research opportunities, faculty expertise and support services. It also gave students across disciplines an opportunity to meet one another and begin forming connections that can contribute to future collaboration.
Kathryn E. McCollister, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences, encouraged students to explore the department’s breadth of expertise, learn from faculty across its divisions and consider the many ways they can contribute to the field.
“Public health is everywhere, and that is what is so exciting about this department,” Dr. McCollister said. “There are so many different paths to travel and so many areas where you can have an impact. You have a lot of work to do and a lot to learn, and we will partner with you in that.”
Margie Jimenez, M.A., CRA, assistant chair of the department, emphasized the value of the different perspectives students bring to the department.
“What stands out about this incoming class is the range of experiences, perspectives and interests each student brings to the department,” Jimenez said. “Our role is to help students build on those strengths, connect with the right resources and discover how their individual goals can contribute to the broader mission of public health.”
In a welcome message to the class, Viviana E. Horigian, M.D., M.H.A., vice chair for education and professor, emphasized the need for a new generation of public health professionals prepared to confront complex challenges.
“I believe this is the most important moment for leaders such as you to become the public health professionals of the future,” Dr. Horigian said. “And you are at the right place to do so. We will need public health leaders who can think critically, build partnerships and embrace innovation. You will learn all those skills here.”
Rose hopes the relationships formed at orientation will continue developing throughout the students’ academic experience.
“I hope the students cultivate lifelong mentorships, gain interdisciplinary skills and feel supported by Graduate Programs and our community,” she said.
Orientation marked the students’ first day together, but their interests already reflect the breadth of public health, from disease prevention and health equity to biostatistics, cancer epidemiology and clinical care. The experiences they bring and the work they pursue will help shape the department during the academic year ahead.
Written by Deycha Torres Hernández, published August 19, 2026.
