Meet Your 2020-2021 RSPH Alumni Board

Kaytna Thaker, MPH (14PH) – PresidentEH

Kaytna earned her MPH in Environmental Health in 2014 and currently works as a contractor for the Program Operations Branch within CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, Immunization Services Division. Previously she worked for the Antibiotic Resistance Coordination and Strategy Unit at CDC where she contributed to a wide variety of projects, including preparing written responses to congressional inquiries, gathering, analyzing, and disseminating data from national programs, and tracking antibiotic resistance policy and implementation activities for stakeholders including HHS and the White House. Outside of her professional interests, Kaytna enjoys baking, running, hiking, and volunteering with various groups around Atlanta.

Elizabeth Sprouse, MPH (18PH) – President-Elect  EMPH

Elizabeth is an informatics professional with in-depth experience in program development, strategic planning, procedure and data standardization, project management, communications and technology training. Through her consulting firm, Double Lantern Informatics, Elizabeth is committed to using health care informatics to further the delivery of equitable health care, improve lives, and support our local and global neighbors in living a life founded on well-being and joy. Elizabeth is a graduate of Emory’s Executive MPH program, earning her master’s degree in Applied Public Health Informatics in 2018. In her free time Elizabeth enjoys traveling. She and her husband have made a commitment to taking their son to all 50 states by the time he is 18. At 7 years old, he has already made it to 30 states!

Kinsey McMurtry, MPH (11OX 13C 15PH) – Immediate Past-President HPM

A "Triple Eagle", Kinsey is a graduate of Oxford College, Emory, and Rollins! She earned her master’s in Health Policy and Management in 2015 and is currently the Associate Director for Fellowship Programs at Emory University School of Medicine where she coordinates six OBGYN fellowships. In addition to serving as the Immediate Past-President for the Rollins School of Public Health Alumni Board, Kinsey is also a 2011 class representative for the Oxford College Alumni Board. Previously, she was a Health Promotion Coordinator for the Georgia Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments where she organized health promotion and education programs and events specifically for physical activity, nutrition, access to healthcare, tobacco use prevention, workplace wellness and adolescent health by collaborating with community partners.

Molly Guy, MSN, MPH (05N 05PH) -- Secretary GH

As a Senior Program Officer in the Noncommunicable Disease Program at PATH, Molly is responsible for the management and implementation of programs within PATH’s NCD Portfolio across Kenya, Ghana, Vietnam, Senegal, and Uganda. In this role she provides technical and programmatic oversight of project design, implementation, and evaluation. She also drives business development efforts for the program across public and private sectors.  In addition to the work within the NCD Program, Molly leads cross-sectoral collaboration across the members of the Coalition for Access to NCD Medicines and Products, of which PATH is the Secretariat.

Molly earned dual degrees in Global Health and Nursing in 2005 from Emory. Her passion and commitment to global health and access to care has continued to grow over the years through her roles as Head of Impact and Policy for Medtronic Labs, Principal Clinical Safety Specialist in the Medtronic Clinical Operations group, Clinical Affairs Manager at the Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Prevention, and as a Registered Nurse at Mayo Clinic.   

Kaleigh Emerson, MPH (10 GH) GH

Kaleigh is passionate about population-level interventions that make it easier for individuals to make healthy choices and lead more enjoyable lives. Currently she works as Project Manager for the Center for Youth Mental Health at Dell Medical School and as Research Associate for the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health. Her work aims to improve mental health services for adolescents and young adults; increase prevention and early intervention for mental health conditions; and integrate physical, behavioral, and social care. Kaleigh earned her MPH in Global Health in 2010. She enjoys swimming in her free time, especially in Austin’s spring-fed pools.

Allison Goldstein, MPH (11PH)  BSHE

After graduating with a master’s in Behavioral Science and Health Education, Allison worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention where she was a member of the Million Hearts Initiative Science Team in the Applied Research and Evaluation Branch. Upon joining WHO in 2015, Allison served as the Toolkits Officer for the mHealth secretariat of the joint WHO-ITU Initiative Be He@lthy Be Mobile in the Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases department. In this position, she coordinated the development of program plans and technical documents to assist countries in implementing mHealth programs for NCDs. In 2018, she joined the WHO Department of Noncommunicable Diseases as the focal point for the Resolve to Save Lives Cardiovascular Health initiative. In this role she provides overarching coordination for the initiative. Outside of work, Allison enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, and eating.

Corliss Heath, PhD, MPH, M. Div (98PH 04T) BIOS

Dr. Heath has nearly 25 years of professional experience in public health research. She is currently a Health Scientist in the Office of HIV/AIDS Training and Capacity Development at the Health Resources and Services Administration HIV/AIDS Bureau in Rockville, MD. There she leads various projects supporting the development of leadership, evaluation, and training to assure the provision of high-quality HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention, care and treatment services. In December 2017, Dr. Heath was elected President of the AIDS and Anthropology Research Group, a Special Interest Group of the Society for Medical Anthropology. She is the first African American female to hold this position.

A mentor and educator, Dr. Heath has served as an instructor and visiting professor at Agnes Scott College, Kennesaw State University, the University of South Florida, and Central Michigan University. Likewise, she is the founder and CEO of SAVE, Inc. (Shaping A Vision through Empowerment), a non-profit educational and training corporation, where for over 20 years, she has worked extensively fostering the growth and development of young men and women in the Atlanta, Tampa Bay and now metropolitan Baltimore areas. Dr. Heath earned both her master's degrees (Biostatistics and Divinity) from Emory.

Dan earned his MPH in Health Policy and Management in 2012 and is currently a Senior Project Manager at Houston Methodist where he is responsible for initiating, defining, and managing high-profile strategic project for Houston Methodist’s three southern region hospitals. He, along with his wife Elisabeth (10N), currently serves as Co-President of the Emory Alumni Association’s Houston Chapter. Dan also serves as a member of the Emory All in a Day Ambassador Task Force, a Mentor in both the Rollins and Goizueta alumni mentoring programs, a Co-Lead of Emory Cares International Service Day in Houston, and was the BBA Chair of the Goizueta 100 Anniversary Houston Event. Dan also serves as a Mentor through the Emory / Veterati partnership to provide digital mentorship to active service members, veterans and military spouses. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife Elisabeth and son Christopher, playing and coaching ice hockey, traveling, reading and cooking.

Meaghan founded Orange Sparkle Ball, an innovation and impact consultancy, after earning her MPH in Epidemiology and working at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Through Orange Sparkle Ball, Meaghan works to accelerate initiatives in the private and public sector and work with startups. She has taught at Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has been a guest reviewer at Georgia Tech since 2007, a judge for the Global Social Venture Competition and Industrial Design Society of America, a mentor for social entrepreneurs, and is a frequently invited to sit on innovation and entrepreneurial panels.

Julia Krauss, MPH, MBA (17B 17PH) GLEPI

Julia is a Senior Associate at KPMG in strategy consulting, where her work focuses on enhancing access to new pharmaceutical products, particularly cell and gene therapies. While at Emory, she was a dual MBA/MPH with a concentration in Global Epidemiology to develop skills required to manage disease control programs in an efficient and financially sustainable manner in order to make lasting improvements in global health. She volunteers with Sanergy, a social enterprise that aims to reduce the burden of poor sanitation in Nairobi, Kenya’s informal settlements through innovative business and service delivery models. In her spare time, Julia enjoys outdoor activities, such as running, hiking, and biking.

Samantha Lie Tjauw, MPH, MBA (14 PH) GH

Samantha earned her MPH in Global Health in 2014 and now works as a Research Scientist at The Georgia Tech Research Institute where she conducts user-centered, mixed-methods research to provide a rich understanding of consumer health information technology needs to diverse clients, including the Georgia Department of Community Health and the US Department of the Army. She functions as the public health subject matter expert and social science lead in the social-technical approach her team employs for each project. The aim of these projects is to create innovative, user-friendly technologies that allow for enhanced data integrity, data analytics, and enable social programs to engage in evidence-based intervention design. Samantha has been teaching freshman students at Georgia Tech through the Serve-Learn-and Sustain initiative on campus since 2013.

Monique Martin, MPH (12 PH) BSHE

Monique has 10 years of professional experience in private, not for profit, government, and sectors; with a focus on delivering effective public health interventions. Her skills include strategic program planning for behavior change; training and technical assistance to strengthen workforce capabilities, providing training and technical assistance to strengthen workforce capabilities; program development, implementation, and monitoring; qualitative research methods; curriculum development; and workshop facilitation. She earned a Master of Public Health in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education and a certificate in the Socio-Contextual Determinants of Health in 2012. Currently, she is an Organizational Effectiveness Consultant, with Slalom Consulting. Outside of work, Monique enjoys running with her boyfriend and dog, enjoying the beauty of Piedmont Park, and spending quality time with friends.

Karyl Patten, DDS, MPH, JM (08PH 15L) EMPH

Dr. Patten has provided oral health to the underserved for more than twenty years, garnering local, state and national recognition for her programs in school based dental care.. As Dental Director for the nonprofit program Whiteford, Inc., Assistant Professor at Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Patten has transformed the way we deliver school based dental care. Under her leadership, Whiteford Inc. in partnership with Emory University developed a school-based dental program that provides full-service dentistry to Atlanta. The program trains dental students, dental hygiene students, and dental assisting students for challenging but rewarding careers assisting those with the greatest healthcare needs. Dr. Patten earned her MPH in Prevention Science in 2008 and her Juris Masters in 2015. She holds faculty positions at Emory University School of Medicine, Augusta University School of Dentistry, and advisory board for West Georgia Technical College school of Dental Hygiene. She continues to speak nationally, urging Congress to support oral health for the underserved.

Kier Prince, JD, MPH (18PH 18L) HPM

Kier is an Equal Justice Works fellow sponsored by Eversheds-Sutherland and the Home Depot at the Emory Law Volunteer Clinic for Veterans (VCV). Through her work, Kier is expanding the VCV’s work to provide representation to veterans seeking discharge upgrades, with a priority being given to veterans with PTSD symptomology and Traumatic Brain Injuries.

A double Eagle, Kier earned both her MPH (HPM) and JD degrees in 2018. During her time at Emory, she was a recipient of the Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC) grant and is a two-time recipient of the State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division’s Public Interest Internship Program (PIIP) award. She is as a member of the Atlanta Bar’s CLE Board of Trustees and a Fall 2019 Sidebar member. When Kier is not working, she enjoys acting, modeling, and learning new skills such as computer science and data analysis.

Lauren Taylor, MPH, MMSc PA-C (11PH 16A)  HPM

After graduating Emory with an MPH in Health Policy and Management, Lauren transitioned to the Neurology Department at Emory and worked as a clinical research coordinator in the ALS Center for one year before matriculating in the Emory Physician Assistant Program in the summer of 2014. While in PA school, Lauren served as the class vice-president, co-chaired the Heel to Heal 5K chair, volunteered at the South Georgia Farmworker Health Program, and served on various other committees within the program. Since graduation in 2016, Lauren has been working as a sports medicine orthopedic surgery PA at Grady. Outside of clinical practice, Lauren assists with research studies, precept PA and athletic training students, and cover local high school sports teams.

In her free time Lauren enjoys exercise and competition: running (one full marathon, 3 half marathons, and more 10Ks and 5Ks than she can count), HIIT classes, spin classes, yoga, volleyball, tennis, swimming, etc. She is heavily involved with the Junior League of Atlanta and has held leadership positions within the organization for the past several years. She also enjoys baking and frequently jokes that she will own a bakery in her next life.