Yuqi Wu
Yuqi Wu’s interests focus on health care and translational research using statistical regression and big data analytics methods to improve cancer prevention, chronic disease management, health disparities and clinical/surgical outcomes.
Award Winners
Each year, the Arnold School and our departments recognize outstanding graduate students with awards. See who won the 2022 Student Awards.
Find more information about Arnold School winners of Graduate Students from the Graduate Student Association and the Graduate School and Undergraduate Students who won university-level awards.
Meet a Few of Our Graduates
We have featured a few of our outstanding students who are graduating in 2022. Click on the stories below to learn more about their journeys.
Bezawit Kase
During her program, Bezawit Kase explored her interest in child nutrition and built expertise in how diet can be used to reduce the risk of cancer. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms through which nutrition is connected to cancer risk.
Asma Alzahrani
Asma Alzahrani plans to apply the knowledge and experiences she gained in the Ph.D. in HSPM program to improve care and encourage others in Saudi Arabia to accurately track, monitor and address the most pressing public health issues.
Anna Ehrhorn
Five-and-a-half years and two children after joining the Ph.D. in COMD program, Anna Ehrhorn is graduating with expertise in speech, language and literacy development and disorders and assistant professorship.
Jennifer Mandelbaum
Ph.D. in HPEB candidate Jennifer Mandelbaum graduates in December, and she’s leaving a mark on the university and the state. For the past six years, she has lent her talents and energy to advancing public health as a student and researcher as well as off campus through her work at SC DHEC.
Erin Langhorne
Erin Langhorne is interested in continuing to work with people on the autism spectrum, but her master’s program also sparked an interest in the medical side of speech-language pathology – particularly aphasia.
Caroline Wood
Caroline Wood pursued a M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology at UofSC because the program offered a wide range of experiences for students to explore. Through her clinical rotations, she gained experience with the clinic as well as a local elementary and private pediatric practice.
Emily Fisher
Emily Fisher plans to work in local schools as a speech-language pathologist specializing with bilingual children who experience literacy/language difficulties. It's a role not many can fill, but one that she's been preparing for over the past seven years.
Amanda Elmore
Amanda Elmore graduates with her Ph.D. in Epidemiology this month and researches how social determinants of health, adverse childhood experiences and trauma influence health outcomes in each stage of the mother-infant dyad.
Jane Stratton
Through her program and graduate assistantship, Jane Stratton developed interests in working with adolescents and adults who have experienced stroke and traumatic brain injury. Her clinical placements gave her experience in public and private settings.
Sabrina Karim
Sabrina Karim's August graduation is more than a celebration of the physician notching a 4.0 in two programs, but another step towards overcoming the personal challenges she has faced and pursuing her passion for improving maternal and child health.
Rachel Chan
The COMD department's Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology – Distance Education program made it possible for Chan to continue working as a speech-language pathology assistant while pursuing a graduate degree.
Nyrobi Tyson
Master of Science in Public Health in Epidemiology graduate Nyrobi Tyson is pursuing a career combining her experiences as a doula and public health researcher to close the racial maternal morbidity and mortality gap.
Jacob Turner
Jacob Turner’s path to becoming a physical therapist has been a personal one. Diagnosed at an early age with mild spastic diplegia, the Starr, South Carolina spent more than a decade of his life in the care of physical therapists.
Helen Holderread
Admitted students day turned out to be a milestone event for Helen Holderread. She learned about the B.S. in Public Health program, which would provide a solid foundation for her eventual medical studies while offering a broader view of health.
Daniela Caruso
Daniela Caruso’s path to becoming a speech-language pathologist began at her part-time job during college. She was working as a teacher at the Gymboree Play and Music Gym when a parent complimented her one-on-one connections with children and suggested a career in the field.
Lisa Miller
During her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology program, Lisa Miller gained clinical experience in elementary and private practice settings. She plans to work for her long-time employer, helping children in the Charleston County School District with literacy and language difficulties.
Tegan Osborne
After completing her final clinical placement at the Potomac River Clinic Tegan Osborne will graduate in August and begin her clinical fellowship year. She plans to earn a certification in Auditory-Verbal Therapy as a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist.
Jillian Gierman
After wrapping up her M.S in Speech-Language Pathology degree with a final clinical placement at Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital, Jillian Gierman will look for a position in an acute care, inpatient rehabilitation or outpatient clinic setting.
Mikayla Briggs
After graduation, Mikayla Briggs hopes to work in a home health setting while teaching undergraduate courses at her local community college. Long term, she's considering a return to graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in the field.
Gabriela Carrara
Gabriela Carrara was 13 when a cooking accident caused burns that would lead to one surgery, nine days in the hospital and years of recovery. Nine years later, the public health graduate credits the healthcare she experienced and observed as the inspiration for her pursuit of a career in medicine.
Cedrick Belton
As a public health major, Cedrick Belton began to see the bigger picture of health and instantly felt a connection. Both in and out of the classroom, Belton spent his time at UofSC learning about the barriers and challenges facing underserved communities as well as possible impacts and solutions.
Madison Petersen
During her program, Madison Petersen gained research experience with the Arnold Childhood Obesity Initiative and UofSC Connect Lab as well as the National Cancer Institute-funded Cancer Education Program, ultimately earning Graduation with Leadership Distinction in Research.
Reann Young
During her athleting training program, Reann Young gained experience with UofSC’s beach volleyball and football teams as well as the SC Summer Dance Conservatory and Columbia International University. She also developed research interests in the mental health of collegiate student-athletes.
Thomas LaBone
A health physicist, Thomas LaBone has spent 40 years assessing occupational exposure to radioactive materials (aka internal dosimetry). With his Ph.D. in Biostatistics, he is on the forefront of researchers applying Bayesian statistics to internal dosimetry - a goal 25 years in the making.
Chantal LaFlamme
Chantal LaFlamme is particularly interested in helping the company use its software to improve workflow, patient safety and quality of care as well as identify health issues and address health disparities. Long term, she would like to improve the accessibility/delivery of the U.S. healthcare system.
Annalee Brody
Annalee Brody's first campus visit to UofSC was instrumental to helping her select a major. She says that Arnold School students clearly had a stronger passion and enthusiasm for their education and experiences.
Erica Schulman
During their program, Erica Schulman explored their interests in transgender healthcare and its integration into academic curricula and educational opportunities for athletic training students and practicing athletic trainers.
Megan Austin
After taking her first health promotion, education, and behavior course junior year, Megan Austin knew she had found her future career. She considered various master’s programs but was drawn back to the Arnold School’s HPEB department.
Jim Matthews
Jim Matthews' graduation with a Master of Public Health degree this May is 46 years in the making. In fact, his new venture into health policy is not only a second career for the optometrist, it is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
Alex Karp
Alex Karp found an intersectional topic he was passionate about for his senior thesis with the Honors College. Looking to incorporate animals into a public health project, he researched the impacts of pets on their owners’ overall health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ana Jukic
An aspiring physician, Ana Jukic wanted a major that allowed her to learn about the human body, especially while engaged in physical activity. She chose exercise science as the best fit for her career goals while also including classes and electives that were extremely interesting.