Shared Talent

RTI University Scholars Program

Since 2014, UNC Gillings faculty have participated in the RTI University Scholars Program which provides partial support for distinguished academic researchers to spend scholarly leave time at RTI, actively collaborating with RTI experts. The ideal Scholar is a tenured or research-track faculty member at the Associate Professor level or higher with a commitment to collaboration and a strong research record in a field that aligns with RTI’s practice areas and services and capabilities.

2022-2023 Cohort

Dr. Courtney Woods

Courtney Woods, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Evironmental Sciences and Engineering

Courtney G. Woods, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, will study rural water quality and risk perception associated with solid waste landfills.   

RTI Collaborators: Crystal Lee Pow Jackson, Ph.D., research environmental scientist in the Center for Environmental Health, Risk and Sustainability; Brian Southwell, Ph.D., senior director, Science in the Public Sphere, Center for Communication Science; and Rohit B. Warrier, Ph.D., research environmental engineer, Center for Environmental Health, Risk and Sustainability   

Woods and collaborators will apply community-based participatory approaches to research on the effect of landfill contaminants on environmental and human health, measuring private water quality at residences near a major North Carolina landfill. Research will inform a framework for investigating risk perception among private well users who live near landfills. “Private well users across the country continue to be underserved and at the biggest risk for hazards in their drinking water,” noted RTI collaborators in their support for Woods’s research. “We believe that our collaboration with Dr. Woods will advance scientific stature through innovative research.” 

Explore Other Cohorts.

Student Engagement

By mentoring the brightest undergraduate and graduate minds in a variety of disciplines at the North Carolina headquarters and other offices in the United States and around the world, RTI helps to expand public health research and capabilities, while also creating a vibrant network of intern alumni who go on to assume roles at the institute and elsewhere.  

The following Gillings students participated, or are currently participating, in RTI’s Internship Program from October 2023 through September 2024:

Haley Abernathy

Research Chemist Internship
PhD, Epidemiology, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2026
BS, Biochemistry, NC State, 2020 

Haley interned in the Justice Practice Area of the Social, Statistical, & Environmental Sciences business unit. Haley learned about practical challenges and research gaps within forensic science and the justice community. The internship included performing, optimizing, and developing chemical assays within a laboratory environment. 

Alisa Andrews

Proposal Development Internship
MPH, Environment, Climate, and Health, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2025
BA, Science, Technology, and Society, NC State, 2023
BS, Agricultural Science, NC State, 2023

Alisa interned in the Social, Statistical, & Environmental Sciences business unit. The internship supported the coordination of two large capture efforts. Alisa reviewed Request for Proposals to create organizational materials to facilitate the proposal development process for subject matter experts. Additionally, Alisa complied documentation for compliance in proposal submission(s) for federal and state government, commercial firms, and foundation clients.

Xiaomeng Chen 

Pharmacoepidemiology Internship, RTI Health Solutions
PhD, Epidemiology, UNC-Chapel Hill, TBD
MS, Public Health, Johns Hopkins, 2019
BM, Preventive Medicine, Peking University, 2017

Xiaomeng interned in RTI Health Solutions. This internship provided opportunities to learn about the application of rigorous methodologies in a practical setting. In this role, Xiaomeng contributed to literature reviews and background sections of study reports, composed sections of epidemiology protocols, and conducted quality control of reports and manuscripts.

Claire Chu

Biostatistician Internship
BSPH, Biostatistics and Mathematics, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2024

Claire interned with the Center for Clinical Research Network. In this role, she helped advance project and research efforts in the areas of clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and public health research. Claire reviewed protocol and data collection forms, tracked metrics and generated reports, and collaborated on statistical research and analysis.

Samantha Feinstein

Innovation Consulting Internship (Sustainability)
MSPH, Environmental Sciences & Engineering, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2023
BA, Chemistry, BA Romance Studies-French, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2020

Samantha interned with RTI’s Innovation Advisors to help address sustainability challenges for commercial and federal clients. In this role, she assisted with market research by conducting research using secondary resources as well as primary resources when needed, and developed marketing descriptions of new technologies and conducted research in a wide range of technology areas and industries. Samantha transitioned to full-time employment as an Innovation Analyst I in January 2024.

Caroline Hoch

Medicare Implementation Internship
MSPH, Global Health, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2024
BS, Neuroscience, Biology, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2020

After interning at RTI in Summer 2023 as a Proposal Development Intern, Caroline returned in Summer 2024 participating in the Medicare Implementation Internship in the Social, Statistical, & Environmental Sciences business unit. Caroline worked with the Primary Care First Team and gained understanding of Medicare alternative payment models. The internship included analyzing large datasets provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service. Caroline transitioned to full time employment as an Economist in October 2024.

Aminah Isiaq

SUGAR Internship
MPH, Health Behavior, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2024
BS, Public Health and Psychology, Tulane University, 2020

Aminah interned with the Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research Program at RTI. In this role, Aminah assisted with research study evaluating implantation strategies for the delivery of medication for black cis- and transgender women in the United States through qualitative data collection and analysis.

Ryan Moore

Biostatistician Internship
BSPH, Biostatistics, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2024

Ryan interned with the Center for Clinical Research Network. In this role, Ryan helped advance project and research efforts in the areas of clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and public health research. Ryan reviewed protocol and data collection forms, tracked metrics and generated reports, and collaborated on statistical research and analysis.

Aditya Pillutla

Health Research Analyst Internship
BSPH, Statistics and Analytics, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2024

Aditya interned in the Center for Health Care Quality and Outcomes. The internship included reviewing various datasets to perform quantitative analyses, such as examining participating oncology practices’ quality performance and exploring correlations among quality measures. Learning objectives included team-based quantitative research and understanding Medicare alternative payment models.

Brooklyn Story 

Environmental Health Outreach and Education Internship
MPH, Environmental Health Solutions, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2024
BS, Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2022 

Brooklyn interned with RTI’s Environmental Health and Water Quality group. In this role, she contributed to program visibility and recruitment, helped develop written outreach and education materials, and collaborated with the program team. Brooklyn transitioned to full-time employment as an Environmental Scientist June 2024.

Kevin Yu

Health Economist Internship
MPH, Nutrition, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2025
BA, Public Health, University of Washington, 2021 

Kevin interned with the Accountable Health Communities Model Evaluation Team. The internship included assisting with quantitative data analyses, contributing to discussions on findings, and supporting quality control and quality assurance processes. Learning objectives included using medical claims data in quantitative health services research and developing new skills in Stata, a statistical analysis software.

RTI Phield Trip

The RTI-UNC Gillings PHield Trip will take place on February 27, 2024, from 9:30 am-1 pm. Open to students, staff, and faculty, this event allows participants to learn about projects happening at RTI, see the facilities, and enjoy a networking lunch with RTI staff. Transportation and lunch will be provided. See the agenda for more information.

To register, click here. Space is limited and registration closes at 12 pm on Friday, February 2, 2024.

Health Policy and Management Capstone Class

The Health Policy and Management Capstone Class allows students to engage with RTI’s Health Advance unit on a public health research innovation and commercialization project. The project supports RTI-HA’s initiative to advise private sector healthcare clients. The spring 2023 capstone team of Jessica Uba, Sherry Ma, Ethan Phillips, & Chloe Stiles conducted research and analyses to help RTI- Health Advance understand how their clients can use social risk adjustment tools, specifically focused on their internally developed Rarity tool, to address health equity for their beneficiaries and patients.

Adjunct Faculty