Lab Matters Fall 2024 | Page 37

TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP

By Amra Handzic , MBA , specialist , Academic Partnerships ; Hailey Reiss , specialist , Academic Partnerships ; and Ladan Ghedi , MA , specialist , Academic Partnerships

“ I ’ m currently trying to expand our outreach to other universities in the state to provide information to students about career opportunities in public health , and the seemingly endless opportunities within ,” she said . “ Being involved in the Public Health Laboratory Ambassadors program is a great way to remind yourself of what you love about public health and share that joy with others .”

Heather Seymour , outreach analyst at the Michigan Bureau of Laboratories , has engaged in multiple events since becoming an ambassador , including a classroom presentation and an elementary school activity night .

Carin Huset ( left ) and Marla DeVault ( right ) from the Minnesota Public Health Laboratory attended the University of Minnesota career fair with Ladan Ghedi in September 2023

In September 2023 , APHL hosted a webinar for public health laboratory professionals to introduce them to the Public Health Laboratory Ambassadors program , an initiative launched by Cohort 16 of the Emerging Leader Program ( ELP ). Designed to develop the public health laboratory workforce , our ambassadors promote public health laboratory careers to students , fostering the next generation of leaders . Webinar participants learned about the program ’ s objectives , practical strategies for promoting public health laboratory science careers , and the steps to becoming an ambassador . The webinar had 121 registrations and 68 attendees .

There are currently 79 members in the program , mainly consisting of laboratory personnel . Ambassadors have participated in 21 reported events and counting , promoting careers in public health laboratory science to students at in-person and virtual outreach events at Washburn University , University of Wisconsin Stevens Point , Centralia College , Hamline University and other institutions .

Experiences From the Year

In the past year , Public Health Laboratory Ambassadors have engaged with students and community members through career fairs , classroom presentations and more . Leslie Wolf , laboratory technical director of the Louisville Metro Health Department Laboratory , feels that outreach is key to encouraging students to consider career paths in public health laboratory science .

“ I have participated in a healthcare career fair at a local high school . I have also participated in a Health Occupations Student Association ( HOSA ) event in which cohorts of attendees were able to ‘ walk through ’ an outbreak investigation , and one of the stops was the ‘ laboratory ’,” said Wolf . “ Both events indicated that students are interested in health , but are not familiar with public health options , so raising awareness at the high school level was a success for me .”

Paige Drury , safety & security officer at the Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories , became an ambassador to participate in as many opportunities as possible .

“ As a member of the Public Health Laboratory Ambassadors program , it ’ s been rewarding to provide education and mentorship in a field many are unaware of ,” said Seymour . “ I like to believe that my knowledge and enthusiasm provide a spark of encouragement to explore more about public health and the work we do at the laboratory .”

Become an Ambassador

Current and former public health laboratory employees can join by completing an interest form . The quick guide has answers to the most common questions about the program . For further inquiries about the Public Health Laboratory Ambassador program , please contact the APHL Academic Partnerships program at academic . partnerships @ aphl . org . g