Lisbeth Lucas-Moran

Discipline and date of your BA or BS degree: BS, Allied Health Sciences concentration in Public Health and Health Promotion, conferred May 10, 2025
What influenced your decision to pursue a Master of Public Health at UConn?: Growing up in a single parent, low-income household allowed me to gain exposure early on to the challenges and disparities within underserved communities. Living this experience motivated me to purse a position in the public sector so that I may impact and serve communities in need. Assisting in community-based participatory research (CBPR) during Summer 2022 for Dr. Valerie Duffy and her team allowed me to realize the wide range of professions within the Public Health Field. I continued participating in CBPR during my undergraduate career and connecting with the community confirmed my passion for equity-based work. Having attended UConn during my undergraduate studies prepared me for higher education by providing the necessary resources and mentors to guide me and partake in interdisciplinary work with the focus on positively impacting social change. Applying for the MPH FastTrack would mean having access to the same support systems and gaining new perspectives.
Background: As a first-generation college student and daughter of an immigrant navigating campus was a challenge. Participating in the Student Support Services (SSS) Program helped me connect with mentors early on in my undergraduate career. I was later able to partake in different programs such as the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), Center for Access & Postsecondary Success (CAPS), First Year Experience mentoring (FYE), and Legacy Leadership Experience (LLE). These programs equipped me with skills in communication, collaboration, time-management, project development, and leadership. During Summer 2023, CAPS allowed me to further develop my research skills by pairing me with a Principal Investigator in the Nutritional Sciences Department. Using data from a previous study I was able to develop a research poster summarizing key findings and present in CAPS Poster Day. Conducting CBPR further pushed me pursue a profession in the Public Health field with hopes of continuing to improve accessibility and quality of care within underserved communities.
Life Outside Work and School: Outside of school and work I am a caregiver for my mother. During 2018, my mother was living with undiagnosed diabetes and other health complications. Due to her immigration status, my mother did not have health insurance and being a single parent made it difficult to find time for a doctor’s appointment. Moving to Connecticut allowed her to connect with family, build her social support system, and have access to health insurance and providers that cared about her well-being. Her health drastically declined during COVID-19, which lead to my sister and I becoming full-time caregivers and financially responsible for her. Taking on this role has fueled my passion for Public Health and healthcare access for all. Having taken care of her for 7 years has given me a new perspective on the healthcare system and encouraged me to develop intervention programs that’ll address disparities affecting vulnerable communities. During summers, I volunteer at the Hartford Public Library where I work with recent high school graduates to improve their English skills. My primary language is Spanish, so helping students who’ve come from Latin America or other countries allows me to connect with my community and encourage them to pursue higher education by mentoring and sharing my experiences. The American Place offers support services, resources, and guidance so that newly arrived immigrants can explore different education and career paths that’ll help them become innovative professionals. To take care of myself and my mental health I enjoy going on walks and hikes with my friends or coworkers. I am also attempting to turn my cat into an adventure cat so getting him comfortable to the outside is something I’m working on. Since I’m not a native Connecticuter, I’ve enjoyed the foliage and various landscapes around me that aren’t typically found in my hometown.
Your immediate (next 1-5 years) career goals: My long-term goal is to work at the Department of Health and Human Services in Hartford. I’d love to find a role that works on prevention program planning in vulnerable populations and is focused on improving healthcare quality and access for all. The Department of HHS has five divisions and working under the Disease Prevention and Health Promotion or Initiatives, Events & Health Information branch would allow me to work with local community members and improve the well-being of individuals by influencing healthcare delivery and health outcomes. Health policy is something I find interesting and crucial in the enhancement of the healthcare system. Pursuing law school or a PhD in Health Policy and Management is something I plan on completing after gaining experience in the Public Health field.