Mevlana Iljazi

Raised in an Albanian immigrant household in Waterbury, CT, Mevlana brings a lived understanding of health inequities to her public health work. Witnessing neighbors and her own father struggle with addiction, stigmatizing care, and limited access to services ignited her commitment to equity-focused practice. A first-generation college graduate (B.S. in Allied Health Sciences, minor in Psychological Sciences, UConn ’25), she is now pursuing an MPH at the UConn School of Medicine (expected May 2027).

Her experience spans frontline care and research. In emergency departments at Connecticut Children’s and Bristol Hospital and in laboratory client services at Hartford Hospital, she supported diverse, often underserved patients while honing culturally responsive communication and coordination skills. Academically, she contributed to an international study on youth obesity and the Mediterranean diet, a meta-analytic project on cancer survivors and caregiver wellbeing, and a Health Disparities Institute evaluation using CBPR principles. The Segal Scholars Fund will enable her to deepen this community-engaged research and training, with a career goal of leading programs that expand equitable care, reduce addiction stigma, and improve mental health access for immigrant and low-income communities.

Laura Contreras

Raised in a predominantly Spanish-speaking community in Connecticut, Laura learned early how language barriers, misinformation, and limited cultural humility can derail care. Translating medical terminology for family as a child sparked her commitment to bridge gaps in communication and trust. A recent UConn graduate (B.S. in Allied Health Sciences; concentration in Public Health & Health Promotion; minor in Culture, Health & Human Development), she is entering the UConn MPH program with a focus on epidemiology and community health.

Lauren’s experience blends research, outreach, and frontline service. She supported Spanish-speaking residents as a translator with Waterbury’s mobile vaccination clinic and advanced oral-health education during a nonprofit internship, designing bilingual outreach materials and engagement plans. As a Research Assistant in the Racial Trauma & Health Lab, she conducted literature reviews and contributed to project planning; as a Resident Assistant and staff member at the Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center, she fostered inclusive, health-promoting environments. Study-abroad service in Cusco, Peru, further deepened her cultural competence. With fluency in Spanish and a passion for clear, culturally responsive health education, Laura aims to pair epidemiologic training with community-facing work—promoting healthy behaviors, building trust, and serving as a role model for other first-generation students pursuing advanced education.

Come join our 1st PHLAME event of the semester, career development! This event will be led by Kay Gruder, M.Ed., from the UConn Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills. The session will focus on creating/enhancing your LinkedIn profile, how to effectively use LinkedIn to network, and include CV and resume building.

This event will be held in-person on Wednesday, 9/17/25 from 3:00-4:00 PM in room U3071 A/B at 195 Farmington Avenue.

This event may also be joined remotely via Webex. See link below:

https://uconnhealth.webex.com/uconnhealth/j.php?MTID=m2b36b6fc2def60347db6b8a3033f94f7

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 3:00 PM | 1 hour 10 minutes | (UTC-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Meeting number: 2306 757 2151

Password: MnpAqTMn727

Join by video system

Dial 23067572151@uconnhealth.webex.com

You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.

Join by phone

+1-415-655-0001 US Toll

Access code: 230 675 72151

This fall, our MPH students kicked off the semester with an afternoon of service at the Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Hartford.

Led by Dr. Amy Hunter, the students partnered with SAVE (Saving African American Village), a local organization that collaborates with Amazon each month to bring essential household items to community members in need. These items are distributed at no cost through a monthly community store hosted at the church.

As part of the service event, MPH students worked together to prepare donations, organize supplies, and set up the space for the upcoming community store. Their efforts directly support families across Hartford, helping ensure that vital resources are accessible to those who need them most.

“Today is about more than just preparing for tomorrow’s store,” said Dr. Hunter. “It’s about showing our students what it means to be involved in public health at the community level and the impact they can make.”

Events like this are a cornerstone of the MPH experience at UConn. Beyond the classroom, students gain hands-on opportunities to engage with communities, support health equity initiatives, and build relationships that shape their future careers in public health.

We are proud of our Fall ’25 MPH cohort for demonstrating the spirit of service and leadership that defines public health.

The Department of Public Health Sciences at UConn Health is proud to host a food drive benefiting Hands On Hartford, a local organization dedicated to strengthening community safety nets and addressing food insecurity.

As Hands On Hartford has shared, “We are seeing record numbers of participants utilizing our community pantry, and spring/summer is generally when food donations are slow.” That’s why your support is more crucial than ever.

Collection Dates:
July 9 – August 13

Drop-Off Locations:

• Academic Entrance Lobby

• Munson Road Main Entrance Lobby

• 195 Farmington Avenue, Ste 2100

Most Needed Items Include:
Canned Fruit
Canned Vegetables
Beans
All Non-Perishable Items
Full-Size Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc.)
Breakfast Foods (cereal, oatmeal, pancake mix)

By contributing, you’re directly helping to stock pantry shelves for families and individuals in need. Whether you’re a staff member, student, or local partner, your donations matter.

For questions or concerns, please contact us at (860) 679-5470.
Together, we can show what it means to care in action.

Take a look at some of our past donation drives!

Public Health Program Leadership Transition

After 20 years, Dr. David Gregorio, Professor of Public Health Sciences, has stepped down as director of UConn’s Program in Applied Public Health Sciences, the home UConn’s MPH and PhD degrees.  During his tenure, the program became nationally recognized for its emphasis on interprofessional public health practice, while achieving substantial enrollment growth, expanding its dual degrees options with social work, law, pharmacy and dental medicine, implementing graduate certificates on foundations of public health, disability studies, and the social determinants of health (the substance of which is a requirement of School of Medicine graduates), and facilitating MPH pathways for medical residents and fellows.   Such commitment to education also led to initiation of public health coursework for Storrs student along with a popular FastTrack 4+1 BA/BS+MPH option for UConn undergraduates.  Beginning in Fall 2025, UConn’s PUBH 1001 Introduction to Public Health will be available for credit to Connecticut High Schools through UConn’s Early College Experience.

Dr. Gregorio presently is a Senior Accreditation Visitor for the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and previously served as President of the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) and founding member of the National Board for Public Health Examiners (NBPHE), Inc.  His research and teaching focuses on the application of epidemiology in advancing disease control policy/practices relevant to the social determinants of chronic disease.  In returning to his position with the faculty, Dr. Gregorio will teach a graduate seminar on the Political Determinants of Health along with his undergraduate Introduction to Public Health course that consistently enrolls more than 200 undergraduates.   He a recent recipient of a three year, $1.9M award (“Education-Enhanced Pipeline to a Public Health Science Corps”) from the Connecticut Department of Public Health to foster a statewide culture that promotes public health readiness in communities, while increasing the number and professional abilities of public health workers in Connecticut.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Stacey Brown, Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences, has assumed the position as Director.  She previously served as Associate Program Director and Coordinator of Dual Degree Programs and the Applied Practice Experience, where she led the development of an innovative, two-semester Practicum that now serves as a model for accredited Master of Public Health programs nationwide.

Dr. Brown, a long-standing and deeply engaged member of our academic community brings a wealth of experience, innovation, and collaborative leadership to this role.  A distinguished educator and community-engaged scholar, Dr. Brown has received numerous honors, including the Joan Segal Outstanding Faculty Award (2020), the Health Career Opportunity Programs Faculty Recognition Award (2021), and in 2022, both the UConn Provost’s Distinguished Instructor Award for Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship and the 100 Women of Color Award for her exceptional contributions to education and community health.

Dr. Brown’s leadership is grounded in deep community engagement. Over the past two decades, she has collaborated with faculty and community partners to develop curricula that illuminate the social, economic, and political determinants of health. She has also spearheaded initiatives in cultural competency, patient advocacy, and behavioral health, with a particular focus on strengthening student learning through partnerships with community-based organizations.

Her commitment to equity and public health is further reflected in her roles as a local and national Fellow with organizations such as UConn’s Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention and Policy, UConn’s Service-Learning Program, the Connecticut Health Foundation, the Health Equity Leadership Institute, and the Cross-Cultural Health Care Training Program.

She also contributes her expertise as a member of the State of Connecticut Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission and has served on the boards of the Connecticut Harm Reduction Alliance and Family Life Education. Dr. Brown’s appointment marks a new chapter of growth and innovation for the Program in Applied Public Health Sciences. Please join us in recognizing Dr. Gregorio for his service and congratulating Dr. Brown on this well-deserved recognition and leadership role.