Ramona Johnson

Ramona Johnson is an MS student concentrating in environmental chemistry. Her interests lie especially with the fate and transport of persistent Anthropogenic chemicals. She received a BS in chemical engineering from the UW-Madison. Prior to entering graduate school, Ramona worked in air quality and environmental compliance consulting. She also spent a year in Norway, teaching and doing research in wastewater engineering. She would like to utilize her public health degree for public education on common exposures and preventative action to toxic chemicals. Her advisor is Dr. Matt Simcik.

Mira Grice

The Herbert Bosch Award was established in 1963 to memorialize a man who had done much to further the cause of mankind. Each year the graduating class votes for its member who "best exemplifies the traits of kindness and regard for the welfare of humanity."

Mira is a Ph.D. student in Environmental Health Sciences specializing in occupational health services research and policy. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology (premed) from the University of Minnesota were she also completed her Master of Science degree in Environmental Health Sciences. As a graduate student, Mira worked at the Minnesota Department of Health in the foodborne disease unit, as a teaching assistant for PubH 5200, and as a research assistant in the industrial hygiene laboratory, where she researched methods for sampling metalworking fluid mists. Currently, her research efforts include history of physical assault and non physical violence against nurses' risk of work-related assault, health outcomes of employees of a perfluorooctanesulphonyl fluoride manufacturing facility, and the impact of job spill and home spill on maternal postpartum health. In addition, for the past five years she has enjoyed volunteering on the Flight Crew at the Raptor Center in St. Paul. Her advisor is Dr. Patricia McGovern.

Susan G. Gerberich Scholarship in Injury Epidemiology and Prevention

Evette Pinder

Evette is a Ph.D. student in Environmental Health Sciences specializing in environmental epidemiology (injury prevention). She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in general biology at the University of Maryland and completed her Master of Public Health degree at Drexel University. She is currently working on the Minnesota Educator's Study, which examines factors associated with workplace violence against teachers. She is focusing on occupational stress as a predictor for physical assault. Her current research concerns fatigue and truck related crashes, both fatal and non-fatal. Her advisor is Dr. Susan Gerberich.

Penny Bartz

Penny is an MPH student in Environmental Health Sciences concentrating in global environmental health and occupational health nursing. Penny received a BA in Nursing and a BA in Biology from St. Olaf College. She currently works as an RN at the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute as well as the Minnesota Department of Health working in the area of meth lab clean up. Penny plans to use her education to work with the complex health and environmental issues affecting refugee and immigrant populations in this country. Penny's advisor is Dr. Bruce Alexander.

Karen Everstine

Karen is an MPH student in Environmental Health Sciences concentrating in global environmental health. She has an undergraduate degree in civil/environmental engineering from Virginia Tech, and spent four years living and working in El Salvador as a Peace Corps volunteer, and later working for the Cooperative Housing Foundation where she supervised reimplementation of water access to over 500 families in 25 communities after massive 2001 earthquakes. Karen plans to use her MPH to gain a deeper understanding of population issues and health policy. Karen's advisor is Dr. John Adgate.

Nancy A. Robertson Scholarship

Karen Everstine

Karen is an MPH student in Environmental Health Sciences concentrating in global environmental health. She has an undergraduate degree in civil/environmental engineering from Virginia Tech, and spent four years living and working in El Salvador as a Peace Corps volunteer, and later working for the Cooperative Housing Foundation where she supervised reimplementation of water access to over 500 families in 25 communities after massive 2001 earthquakes. Karen plans to use her MPH to gain a deeper understanding of population issues and health policy. Karen's advisor is Dr. John Adgate.

Kelly Lewis

Kelly is an MS student in Environmental Health Sciences with a concentration in
Environmental Toxicology She has an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from
Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky and is currently employed at the Minnesota Department of Health in Drinking Water Protection. Her advisor is Dr. Betsy Wattenberg.

EnHS Students Receiving Scholarships and Awards Sponsored by the School of Public Health Dean's Office

Health Equity Scholarship

Minhaj Osman

Minhaj is an MPH student in Environmental Health Sciences specializing in food safety and biosecurity. He received an undergraduate degree in Food Science and Technology from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. Minhaj spent six months as a volunteer working to improve sanitary food handling and basic hygiene in refugee camps in Kenya. He also volunteered as a computer lab aide with Pillsbury United Communities at Brian Cole Center in Minneapolis. He is currently working as a Scanning Technician at Hennepin County Medical Center. After completing his degree his goal is to work with the process industries or microbiology research to improve safety in food production and handling. His advisor is Dr. Craig Hedberg.

Sabre Thomas Watkins

Sabre is a MPH student in Environmental Health Sciences with a concentration in infectious diseases. She received a BA from the University of North Carolina - Charlotte. Before entering the school of Public Health, Sabre was a high school science teacher for 5 years. She was also the recipient the 2004 APHA Environment sections Student Award. She plans to use her education to work with childhood infectious disease control and awareness. Her advisor is Dr. William Toscano.

Samuel Paul Kingston Health Equity Scholarship

Diaa Osman

Diaa Osman, ND is an MPH student in Environmental Health Sciences. Dr. Osman is a graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, Canada, and the University of Minnesota, Morris. Dr. Osman is interested in the relationship and impact of the environment on autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Currently, he practices functional and naturopathic medicine and plans to use his MPH degree to close the gap between complementary and conventional medicine in the treatment of environmentally-induced illnesses. Dr. Osman's advisor is Dr. Ian Greaves.

William Foege Scholarship

Elizabeth Scherman

Elizabeth is an MPH student in Environmental Health Sciences specializing in environmental and infectious diseases. She received a BS in Medical Technology from the University of Minnesota and works at Allina Hospitals and Clinics as a clinical laboratory scientist. Her goal is to work with government agencies conducting epidemiological studies on food borne disease outbreaks. Her advisors are Dr. Craig Hedberg and Dr. Randy Singer.

Hearst Award

Starr is a Ph.D. student in Environmental Health Sciences. Her focus is occupational epidemiology and injury prevention. Starr earned a Bachelor of Science in biology as well as a Master of Public Health in epidemiology from the University of Minnesota. Her current dissertation topic involves
examining the association between socio-economic factors and the risk of violence directed at educators in Minnesota schools. Her advisor is Dr. Susan Gerberich.

School of Public Health Scholarship

Daniel E Dodor

Daniel is an MPH student in Environmental Health Sciences specializing in environmental toxicology. He received a Ph.D. degree in Soil Microbiology & Biochemistry from Iowa State University, an M.S. degree in Soil Science from University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, and a B.S. degree in Agriculture from University of Ghana. He has worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow/Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Biology Department, Jackson State University (JSU) in Mississippi. While at JSU, he coordinated and conducted research on photo-induced DNA damage/toxicity and also taught introduction to environmental science class. His research interests are biomolecular techniques used to study risks associated with toxic agents in our environments. His career objective is to become a professor in environmental health and toxicology. His advisor is Dr. Bill Toscano.

Benjamin Lehmann

Ben is an MPH student in Environmental Health, majoring in general environmental health. He received his BS degree from Winona State University (Winona, MN) in Cell and Molecular Biology, minor in Biochemistry, and recently was accepted into Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical School in Iowa. His immediate plans include finishing his MPH in the next 12 months and starting med school in the fall of 2006. His interests include preventive medicine, laboratory procedures and specific pharmacologic testing. His advisor is Dr. Elizabeth Wattenberg.

Oriana Raabe

Oriana is an MPH student in Environmental Health Sciences focusing in environmental infectious disease. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in medical microbiology and immunology from the University of Wisconsin in 2004. During the summer and fall of 2004 she interned with the City of Minnetonka Environmental Health Division. Oriana is currently working in the lab of Dr. Randy Singer conducting research on antibiotic resistance in E.coli. This summer she will be conducting research for her master's project on antibiotic resistance in E.coli while at the University of Concepcion, Chile. Oriana's primary interests are parasitology and bacteriology. Her advisors are Randy Singer and Craig Hedberg.