New Crew 2019

Spring is coming and so are the first articles from our newest group of Public Health Post writing Fellows, Oluwatobi Alliyu, Jori Fortson, Julia Garcia, and Greg Kantor. Rachana Talekar takes on the job of Editorial Assistant, and Nicholas Diamond joins us as Managing Editor. Read their bios and learn who they are below.

They join PHP at a time when our readership is growing sharply, nationally and globally. We’re grateful that you are among those who check in with us. We publish a new PHP article daily, and on Fridays we send subscribers a week-in-review. You can also sign up for The Public’s Health, our Wednesday evening newsletter.

PHP will continue to poke around for important stories and studies that have been overlooked, and to focus attention on work that deserves greater attention. You will continue to stay on top of public health issues through our research articles, databytes, debates, profiles, and viewpoints.

It’s almost impossible to have a conversation that doesn’t touch on health these days, from health disparities to health insurance. Public Health Post will give you a diverse and evolving set of reference points for all your health conversations of 2019.

Welcome to spring!

Public Health Post Fellows 2019

Oluwatobi Alliyu is an MBA-MPH candidate at Boston University where she is also pursuing a certificate in Global Health Monitoring and Evaluation. Drawing from her background in anthropology, she is focused on exploring the intersection of business and global health—particularly health systems strengthening, private-public partnerships, and building capacity for evidence-based decision-making in low- and middle-income countries. When she’s not writing, she can be found dancing to Afrobeats, exploring new cafés, or pretending to be an interior designer on HGTV.

Jori Fortson is an MPH candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health completing certificates in Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation and Maternal and Child Health. She is broadly interested in racial and ethnic health inequities. Jori’s primary academic interests include sexual and reproductive health, mass incarceration, and adverse childhood experiences. She is drawn to conducting participatory action research, creating community-based interventions, and communicating with diverse audiences about public health matters through media and advocacy in order to influence policy. In her free moments she enjoys traveling and trying new foods.

Julia Garcia is an MPH candidate at BUSPH focusing on Health Policy and Law. Previously, Julia worked at the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority – the District of Columbia’s health insurance marketplace – assisting DC residents enrolling in both private and public health insurance. Julia also worked on an open enrollment campaign in Texas and for the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, a non-profit organization focused on advocating for quality cancer care for all people touched by cancer. Julia is a proud Texan and graduate of Texas A&M University where she studied English and sociology.

Greg Kantor is an MPH candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health, pursuing a certificate in Health Communication and Promotion. Driven by undergraduate experiences at Muhlenberg College, his primary public health passions are tobacco control and the intersection of public health and journalism. Greg also works in communications for The Health Management Academy, an organization that provides educational and advisory services to executives of the largest US health systems. A native New Yorker, Greg is an avid fan of the state’s losing sports teams — the Mets, Jets, and Islanders.

Feature image: left to right: Julia Garcia, Nicholas Diamond, Oluwatobi Alliyu, Greg Kantor, and Jori Fortson. Photo: Michael Saunders.