Catherine Oakar is an MPH candidate in the Department of Health Management and Policy. She is honored and excited to be one of the Council’s Public Health Fellows. Catherine recently completed an internship at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where she worked on projects related to chronic care management and the use of new media to address HIV/AIDS. At Michigan, she serves as a research associate for a study that examines how health care safety net providers can enhance their organizational and operational efficiency. Before attending Michigan, she coordinated several community-engaged research studies focusing primarily on cancer survivorship and cancer prevention. For her undergraduate degree, Catherine studied anthropology, Spanish and pre-medicine at the University of Notre Dame. Upon graduation, Catherine’s goal is to pursue a doctorate degree in public health or enter the field of health policy at the national or international level. Her specific interests include: comparative health policy, women’s health, racial and ethnic disparities, community-based partnerships and public health practices, and new media and social marketing strategies to improve health.
