Eight graduates of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Executive/Master of Public Health (MPH) dual degree program showcased their research at the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) 2025 Meeting and Expo held in Washington, D.C. The event attracted approximately 12,000 public health professionals focused on the theme “Making the Public’s Health a National Priority.”
This year’s presentations built upon the success of last year’s contributions, which saw eleven DNP/MPH graduates present at APHA 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The recent graduates submitted their doctoral research in spring 2025, undergoing a rigorous review process by experts overseeing relevant conference sections. Among the attendees was Maria Nerina Girasol, the program’s inaugural graduate, who now serves as Vice President of Clinical Operations at Hilltop Health Group and continues her work to enhance care quality in nursing homes.
Each graduate presented topics reflecting significant leadership in nursing and public health. The presentations spanned various subjects, including aging, maternal and child health, disability policy, and environmental health.
The first day of presentations commenced with Maria Nerina Girasol’s compelling oral presentation on her quality improvement study, “Implementation of an Advanced Care Planning Intervention in Nursing Homes,” featured in the Aging & Public Health Section. Following her, Courtney Carter ’25 delivered an insightful analysis of the U.S. maternal health crisis post-Dobbs in the Sexual and Reproductive Health section.
Sally Keller ’25 also contributed with her presentation, “Addressing Breastfeeding Inequities through Kangaroo Mother Care,” part of the Breastfeeding Forum’s session.
On the second day, three DNP/MPH graduates presented their work in poster sessions. Amanda Batlle ’25 led with her poster, “The Missing Link in Child Injury Prevention: Linking Hospital Child Fatality Review to Community Injury Prevention Efforts,” which garnered significant attention, leading to extensive discussions with attendees.
Sonya Alivio ’25 showcased her impactful poster, “Protecting the Protectors: Keeping Firefighters Safe from Forever Chemicals,” capturing the interest of senior reviewers from the Occupational Health and Safety section. Allison Gilmer ’25 presented her poster, “Improving Methadone Management in Massachusetts: A Policy Analysis,” which also attracted considerable interest from scholars and practitioners alike.
Leslye Kemp ’25 and Rosaline Owusu ’25 delivered outstanding oral presentations on disability policy within the Community Health Planning and Policy Development Section. Leslye’s presentation focused on “Enabling Caregiving for Children with Disabilities in Tennessee,” while Rosaline addressed transitional support barriers for autistic racial and ethnic minority youth, both receiving positive feedback.
The presentations concluded with Melanie Mariano’s ’25 engaging lightning talk in the Aging & Public Health section, discussing the “Utilization of Race-Free Fracture Risk Calculation Tool to Assess DXA Screening Eligibility Among Different Racial and Ethnic Minorities.”
These presentations highlighted the diverse range of topics pursued by graduates since the inception of the DNP/MPH program, reflecting a commitment to health equity. The program aims to prepare leaders who can bridge the gap between nursing and public health, and the success of these presentations is a testament to that goal.
Attendees also included Khin Aungthein ’24, a program alumna who recently became an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Heritage University, and current student Katherine Ampolini ’26, who is in the process of completing her doctoral work. Many graduates are gearing up to present their findings at additional national and international conferences and are preparing manuscripts for publication in professional journals.
The DNP/MPH graduates are already making a notable impact in the field of public health. Their achievements at APHA 2025 underscore the program’s mission and set a promising stage for future contributions to public health discourse.
