Class Notes: Fall 2025
University of Michigan School of Public Health alumni success stories.
Undergraduate
Building tomorrow's public health leaders
Undergraduate program transforms from groundbreaking initiative to thriving academic program
Michigan Public Health’s undergraduate program, launched in 2017, prepares students for diverse careers through interdisciplinary training and hands-on research. Now expanding to 500 students, the program offers faculty mentorship, mandatory health equity coursework, and new study abroad opportunities, with 95% of graduates employed or pursuing advanced degrees within six months.
Embracing AI in the classroom
A new frontier in public health education
A group of students in an artificial intelligence class taught by Frederique Laubepin at Michigan Public Health created WanderWell, an AI-powered app offering 24/7, stigma-free support. By utilizing GPT-4 technology, a language model developed by OpenAI, these students designed WanderWell to deliver empathetic, culturally competent care, harm reduction strategies, and access to local resources and emergency services.
Staff Q&A: Getting to know Jillian McConville
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Education
Jillian McConville has worked at Michigan Public Health since 2014 and personally has helped 451 undergraduate students earn their bachelor’s degrees since 2017. Her expertise and thoughtful guidance helped steer undergraduates through the COVID-19 pandemic so they could go out into the world and be a part of the solution.
Welcome Class of 2021: Photo Gallery
Recent graduates from the University of Michigan School of Public Health share their thoughts about distance learning, the many things they learned as students, and the personal and communal resilience that helped them navigate multiple public health crises while working toward graduate degrees.
Keeping Local Public Health at the Table
Susan Ringler-Cerniglia, MPH ’04
From regional outbreaks to global pandemics, local public health experts respond regularly to public health crises. Susan Ringler-Cerniglia, MPH ’04, says the current pandemic has clarified the need for ongoing investment in public health.