When freshmen arrive at the University of Maryland (UMD), they’re placed in orientation classes designed to ease the transition into college life. But transfer students, many of whom come from two-year colleges and have already earned associate’s degrees, are often navigating a new campus, major requirements and social systems alone. 

Biostatistics plays a vital and growing role in the field of public health, providing the analytical foundation for understanding health trends and making evidence-based decisions. As the volume and complexity of health data increases, especially in this new age of artificial intelligence (AI), there is a critical need for biostatistical expertise.

Dr. Samantha Snyder, Ph.D. ’25, has always been interested in human movement. With a freshly minted doctorate in kinesiology from the School of Public Health, Snyder is wasting no time, already applying her diverse skills to make a difference for people with knee osteoarthritis, a common and painful condition. 

This May, Hannah Altberger became the first ever graduate of a social data science major on the public health track. 

“Getting to pioneer the major was so cool,” Altberger said. “I just happened to be the first one to graduate with this degree, and I think that is such an honor.” 

Recent SPH graduate Matthew Ryan Alvarez wants to improve men's mental health and help couples through therapy. As of May 2025, he’s got a masters in marriage and family therapy from UMD’s School of Public Health to help him reach his goals.

Since transferring from Harford Community College to the UMD School of Public Health, Lahna Hall, who graduated this Spring in public health practice,  has always been passionate about the health of her community.

Growing up, Zach Mixer loved fitness – playing sports from soccer to martial arts and spending time weight training. Just as enthusiastic about sports and fitness now, Mixer has won the School of Public Health’s 2025 Whitl

Growing up, first-generation UMD School of Public Health graduate Crisdel Mayen Velasquez witnessed her parents struggle to navigate the U.S. healthcare system. Like many children of immigrant parents, she helped translate their medical documents.

Dr. Huang (Frederick) Lin knows firsthand how artificial intelligence (AI) can support advances in public health: he uses AI daily in his own research analyzing the trillions of microbes living in our guts, looking for those that contribute to major diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, HIV/AIDS, and various cancers.

University of Maryland doctoral student Kenan Zamore ‘26, has won a grant from the American Pub