New leaders Rachael Nolan, Ph.D. and Stan Pokras, Ph.D. set plans for the 2021-2022 school year
CPH alumna Shelby Barnes, MPH, a 2013 graduate of the BSPH program, announced she is stepping back as President of the Kent State University College of Public Health Alumni Board, after four years of service.
Barnes recalls her pathway from undergrad to a successful public health leader. Starting as an exploratory major, she soon was drawn to Kent State’s newly formed College of Public Health.
“Being involved in student life with other passionate public health students made my time at KSU and the College of Public Health feel like home. I was elected as the first Undergraduate Student Government Senator for the CPH, served on the leadership team with the Public Health Student Alliance, and facilitated a section of the Freshmen First-Year Experience course for public health students. I met some of my best friends through my classes and it’s great to see so many of my former public health classmates living their passion to make our world a healthier and safer place,” Barnes said.
Barnes said she became involved with the CPH Alumni Board in 2016 after attending a meeting and gradually volunteered more of her time. She became president of the Alumni Board in 2018.
Barnes completed her Master’s degree in Atlanta, Georgia, and said she is thankful the Alumni Board allows Alumni from across the country to participate virtually.
In recent semesters, the CPH Alumni Board has held mock phone interviews for current CPH students. Barnes said organizing these events is something she will remember fondly.
“Alumni are prepped with set questions ahead of time and have the names and phone numbers
of their assigned students to call. This opportunity gives students a chance to sharpen their interviewing skills in a relaxed environment where the alum will provide constructive feedback at the end. This by and large has shown to be beneficial not only for the students but for the alumni as well. It can give students an opportunity to talk with an alum about their career and ask questions too,” said Barnes.
Last summer, Barnes was employed as a contractor for the CDC, offering her expertise as part of the Laboratory Task Force. The group provided support in drafting, reviewing, and updating communication materials, as well as key messages and web pages related to laboratory testing.
The Alumni Board is proud to announce Dr. Rachael Nolan and Dr. Stan Pokras will be serving as the new Co-Chairs of the College of Public Health Alumni Board. “They both bring an incredible amount of public health knowledge and leadership”, Barnes says.
Dr. Rachael D. Nolan is the Co-Chair of the Kent State University College of Public Health (CPH) Alumni Board and is a current fellow in the Royal Society for Public Health. Her professional roles include Assistant Professor and Concentration Director for Health Services Management in the Public Health Sciences Division of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine. Dr. Nolan received her Ph.D. in Public Health with a concentration in Prevention Science from Kent State University (2018) and became certified as a Public Health Educator and Grief Recovery Specialist®. Prior to earning her Ph.D., Dr. Nolan received her MPH in Public Health with a concentration in Social Behavioral Science from Kent State University (2015) and her certification in Gerontology. Dr. Nolan also graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a concentration in Health Promotion and Education (2013), with a minor in LGBTQ* studies. As the Alumni Board Co-Chair, Dr. Nolan’s aim is to foster a sense of unity and belonging among all graduates.
Dr. Stan Pokras is the Co-Chair of the Kent State University College of Public Health Alumni Board. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in both Biology and History from Case Western Reserve University, followed by his MPH from the Kent State University College of Public Health (2016). Most recently, he earned his Ph.D. from the College of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology (2020). He currently works as Manager of Quality Analytics at University Hospitals of Cleveland, where he focuses on publicly reported analytics, clinical data interpretation, predictive modeling, and public health research projects. His goal as Co-Chair is to "spread awareness of the alumni group and grow engagement among the College of Public Health graduates".
The College of Public Health thanks Shelby Barnes for her years of accomplished leadership and service to the Alumni Board!