UNC Asheville - UNC Gillings MPH program to graduate first class

May 9, 2024

2024 Joint UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings Master of Public Health (MPH) program graduates (L to R): Michael Ratliff, Juhi Barot, Isla Neel, and Caralee Sadler Farr (UNC Gillings only). at UNC Gillings graduation. Kerstan Nealy and Claire Rice are not pictured.

This May, the first graduating class of the UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings Master of Public Health (MPH) program will receive a jointly conferred degree.

The program’s completion ceremony will be held on May 9 from 5:30-7 P.M. in Laurel Forum at UNC Asheville, and the graduation ceremony will be held at UNC-Chapel Hill on May 11.

The UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings MPH Program began as the site of the Program Leadership and Practice Program (PHLP) MPH program of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in 2018, with 15 students meeting weekly on UNC Asheville’s campus. In 2019, the program moved to a new building on the campus of the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC), where it joined UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC.

In 2020, the Gillings School formally approved the program as the place-based health MPH concentration – the first in the country – emphasizing people and places as the center for learning transferable public health skills. A year later, the UNC System Board of Governors approved the joint program, and in Fall 2022, the program welcomed its first class of the joint UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings MPH Program.

It is the only program in the country that is a partnership between a school of public health and a primarily undergraduate institution.

“By working in partnership with UNC Asheville and Mountain AHEC, Gillings’ place-based health MPH makes an important contribution to expanding the public health workforce in western N.C.,” said Vaughn Upshaw, DrPH, EdD, professor and chair of the Department of Public Health Leadership and Practice and lead for the MPH concentration in leadership in practice. “The placed-based health program also influences how we do our work in Chapel Hill by bringing faculty and students from across the state together for collaborative learning and practice. Having the chance to work with interdisciplinary faculty, professionals and learners fosters innovative approaches that help advance community-led health advances in western N.C. and around the world.”

“This is such an important program,” said Anna P. Schenck, PhD, professor emerita of public health leadership and practice at the Gillings School. “It brings the talents of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and the University of North Carolina at Asheville together on the campus of the Mountain Area Health Education Center to provide world-class education for the purpose of elevating health in the western part of the state. I’m thrilled to see the first graduates of the joint program enter the workforce!”

“The presence of the MPH program in the region not only creates the public health workforce to keep western North Carolina healthy, but it creates a culture of collaboration that affects all the health professionals being trained at MAHEC,” said Bryan Hodge, DO, chair of the Department of Community and Public Health at MAHEC. “Public health echoes through the walls and in our community conversations to exponentially impact our ability to all serve the region together.”

Learn more about the 2024 graduates of the joint UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings MPH Program. 

Juhi Barot (she/her) graduated with a biology degree from Warren Wilson University. She is a dental assistant at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). As a student, Juhi identified ways to advocate for greater reimbursement of dental health services by Medicaid and developed a plan for a patient advisory board for the Gender Health Clinic at MAHEC. After graduating, Juhi is looking forward to attending the UNC Adams School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill.

Kerstan Nealy (she/her) joined the program after attending UNC-Chapel Hill and the N.C. School of Science and Math. As a student, Kerstan currently works in residential life at UNC Asheville and has an interest in how the spaces we live in can influence our health, well-being, and sense of community. Kerstan was awarded a graduate assistantship and has worked with several organizations such as the Columbus County Health Department, MAHEC, Shiloh Community Association and Sistas Caring 4 Sistas. Kerstan is committed to health equity and community-centered action and is looking forward to a career built on service and community engagement.

Isla Neel (she/her) studied psychology at UNC-Chapel Hill and has worked in community health at Blue Ridge Health for over five years. While a student, Isla worked with MPH and UNC Asheville alumni on a community intervention research project and the Center for Climate Studies on a scoping review of published academic research focused on climate change and Indigenous maternal and child health. After graduating, Isla plans to work in community and public health efforts in Western N.C.

Michael Ratliff (he/him) lives in Black Mountain, NC, and is a graduate in exercise science and psychology from Appalachian State University. Michael has a background as an emergency medical technician and surgical specialist working in the field of organ and tissue transplant. While in the program, he had the opportunity to partner with Bounty & Soul and Western Carolina University infectious disease researchers. In the program, Michael has shared his passion for equity in kidney function diagnoses and has worked as a student researcher with Just Economics’ fair-deal campaign. After graduation, Michael hopes to continue his work with children and families with special needs through community-based programming.

Claire Rice (she/her) has been pursuing an MPH while working as marketing coordinator at UNC Pardee Health, and she is on the board of the Henderson County Education Foundation. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in public health and environmental sustainability from Furman University. Following graduation, Claire will be starting a new role as a process improvement coach for UNC Health. In this role she will use public health competencies, Lean principles and “A3” problem-solving methodology to improve processes within units and practices.

Caralee Sadler Farr, MA (she/her), also is graduating this year from the Asheville program, but since she started earlier than 2022, her degree will be conferred by the Gillings School. While a student, Caralee has worked as a health equity project manager with the CDC Foundation. She also researched water, sanitation and hygiene practices in health care facilities in middle-income and low-income countries and developed recommendations based on interviews with practitioners. After graduating, Caralee hopes to work with a public health organization in the areas of health equity, the environment and community engagement.

Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.