The Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) has named Taeilorae Levell-Young, MPH ’24, a graduate student in environmental health science, and MegAnn Smith, Ph.D. ’27, a doctoral student in behavioral and community health, as 2023-24 This Is Public Health (TIPH) Ambassadors.
As ambassadors, the UMD School of Public Health students and 80 others from around the world will exemplify ASPPH’s core mission of improved health and well-being for everyone, everywhere.
Levell-Young is a graduate lab technician for the Water Quality, Outreach and Wellness (WOW) Laboratory in the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health and a School of Public Health Graduate Student Ambassador. As an African American/ Indigenous Natchitoches woman, it is important for Levell-Young to help minorities and lower-income residents access needed and quality resources within their community and environment.
Smith is the Robin Mockenhaupt Endowed Distinguished Graduate Fellow for the School of Public Health’s Office of Public Health Practice and Community Engagement. She is dedicated to dismantling systems of oppression through authentic community engagement and power sharing, and she grounds her public health practice in cultural humility, radical listening and a commitment to equity.
Since its inception in 2017, the TIPH Ambassador program has continued to amplify and highlight the inspiring stories and extraordinary experiences of member institution’s best students. These exceptional graduate students, nominated by their respective institutions, play a crucial role in fostering interest in public health education and career opportunities.
View the full list of students and announcement.