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Alumni Profile
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| Farzana Z. Ali, MPH, CPH
Class of 2011
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Please tell us about some of your activities since your graduation from the MPH program?
After
my MPH graduation, I presented a poster on my master’s project at the American
Public Health Association Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. This presentation
has led to an invitation for manuscript submission in a peer-reviewed academic
journal. My background in evaluative sciences has significantly enhanced my
research skills, and allowed me to be a part of research teams in the
Department of Physiology and Biophysics as well as the Department of Radiology
at the Stony Brook University Medical Center. During my last semester in the
program, one of my professors kindly referred me to the World Bank group in
Washington DC to work as a consultant. I am very happy to continue working with
this great organization. How has your MPH degree influenced your career?
The
analytical skills I have acquired during my MPH have been the cornerstone of my
research career. My degree in evaluative sciences required me to design my own
project and write programs for data analysis. I have acquired the skills needed
to perform independent research, a quality that has played a vital role in my
research pursuits in the biomedical field. Other than quantitative analysis, my
course work included classes that were primarily discussion-based, and had
increased my awareness of contemporary issues, and helped me understand the
relevance of my endeavors in public health and biomedical sciences. I entered
this program as an ordinary student seeking further education in a health care
field, and came out as an independent researcher and public health professional
with the skills necessary to contribute to the health care community in a
meaningful way. What advice would you give a new student just starting the program?
I would encourage a new student to make time to connect
with his/her peers, and discuss academic plans as it will be valuable during
their journey in the Master’s program. The level of difficulty in the graduate
classes is obviously different from what we have experienced in our
undergraduate career. The support from your classmates will help you keep up
with your course work. Moreover, I would highly encourage the students to take
advantage of the office hours of their professors, and to communicate with the
faculty members in the department. You don't always have to have questions
about your class material to see your professor, feel free to share your
project ideas outside of class, or just stop by to greet them. These
connections you make during your graduate career will be very helpful when you
transition from the role of a student to a professional. Posted Spring 2012
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