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Epidemiologists design and conduct investigations aimed at improving the health of groups of people by combining knowledge from the social sciences, medicine, biology, the environment, and statistics.
December 12, 2025 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
“I feel like my interest in public health just so happened to be fate,” says Ciara Matthews, a December graduate of the Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology program. “From the time I could remember, I knew my purpose in this world was to help people.”
When Matthews first graduated from USC in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, that helping profession looked like applying to medical school. She also considered careers in sonography, nursing, and radiology.
“Those careers never drew me in, but my desire to have a career that involved helping people never changed,” Matthews says.
While she was figuring out her next steps, Matthews gained significant laboratory experience back in Charleston near her hometown of Goose Creek, South Carolina. Working with major environmental organizations and health care systems, she contributed to COVID-19 pandemic mitigation efforts and tested soil and other samples for radiation.
In early 2023, Matthews made two major decisions. One was her move to a medical laboratory with Roper St. Francis Healthcare. The second was to pursue an MPH in Epidemiology. It began with an advertisement she came across during a bit of Facebook scrolling, which led to a search for more information, and finally resulted in a link to an MPH in Epidemiology program.
“I always knew of public health, but I never took the time to really research what it was, and I had no clue what epidemiology was,” says Matthews, who spent a few days looking into the field and even viewing testimonials from epidemiologists. “Once I learned that I could potentially help populations, investigate outbreaks, prevent diseases, promote healthier ways of living, combat and eradicate health disparities, etc., I knew becoming a public health professional was the career path for me. Every day I am beyond thankful that ad appeared in my Facebook timeline.”
Returning to USC for her graduate program was an easy decision. As her alma mater, the state’s flagship university held a special place for Matthews, but the biggest factor was the program’s flexibility. The 100% online, asynchronous format offered by the Arnold School’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics offered the perfect path for the full-time lab assistant.
She found a mentor in clinical professor and program director Myriam Torres.
“From the moment I decided to apply for the program, Dr. Torres has been there to answer any questions for me, respond to any concerns, and guide me throughout the program,” Matthews says. “She encouraged and praised me for all the work I have done to get to the end of this program. Dr. Torres is an amazing professor, mentor, and director, and I hope she remains at USC for any future public health professionals.”
After graduating with a perfect GPA, Matthews will be one of those professionals and looks forward to immersing herself in the public health field. She is particularly interested in the areas of chronic disease prevention, disease surveillance, health education and advocacy, infection control, health care coordination, or research. Even after charting a challenging path, she recommends the experience to others.
“I want to specifically say to those of you who are working full time and are on the fence about getting your master’s in public health, go ahead and apply for the program of your choice, especially if it is offered online,” Matthews says. “It will not be easy, and you will have to make some sacrifices, but you can do it! As long as you stay organized, ask for help when you need it, dedicate time for your classes and your work, you can accomplish it, and it will be so worth it.”
