2021 Graduating Student Profiles

Tanner “Tosh” Mihesuah

Master of Public Health

Tanner “Tosh” Mihesuah, second year MPH student in the Health Services Administration concentration will graduate from the Zuckerman College of Public Health this spring. During his time in the MPH program, Tosh served as a student representative for the college on the Campus COVID-19 Reentry Plan panel for Fall 2021, gave his time and talent as a Student Ambassador, worked as a Teaching Assistant for the Health Disparities and Minority Health class, and presented as a student speaker at the Scholarship Luncheon. He also served as a volunteer for Indigenous Day of Health, as a UN Special Rapporteur Intern in College of Law for a report on COVID-19 impact on indigenous peoples, and as a Vitalyst Health Foundation Grand Contract Intern.

For his internship, Tosh worked with UA faculty, in partnership with the Maricopa County Health Department, to develop a new online contact tracing curriculum. This curriculum is used by the University of Arizona and the Maricopa Department of Public Health to train contact tracers for COVID-19 outbreaks.

Gail Barker, PhD, MBA, Tosh’s Internship Chair, was inspired by his dedication to reaching underserved communities with public health services. “It was a privilege to work with Tosh as a student in the MPH program,” said Barker, “his contributions to the University of Arizona and the public health community have been significant.”

The education and experience I gained while earning my MPH have been massively influential and really enlightened my world view,” says Tosh, “I have gained a deeper understanding of the disparities and systems that are at work in the United States. I am an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation and I hope to use the experiences and opportunities University of Arizona has given me to pursue a career focused on targeting the health disparities found in Native American populations.”

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Abby Souhrada

Online Master of Public Health

Abby Souhrada graduates this spring with an online MPH Health Promotion. She lives in Rochester, MN, where she works full time as a laboratory technologist. For her internship, Abby evaluated sexually transmitted diseases and their relationship to domestic and intimate partner violence at the Southwestern Minnesota Opportunity Council. For the project, she gathered data through the Minnesota Department of Health and through their Sexual Health Adolescent Report. When COVID-19 hit, Abby, like many of our graduating students, had to quickly pivot and complete her curricular requirements virtually. Through it all, she displayed a high level of optimism and determination to complete her studies. She remains committed to continued health education and promotion through her community service and professional development experiences, and aims to pursue the college’s mission to build health equity using her newfound knowledge and abilities.

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Nataniel Tsai

BS in Public Health, BA in Political Science

Nataniel Tsai will graduate summa cum laude with two degrees: a BS in Public Health and a BA in Political Science, along with a Spanish minor. In addition to his stellar academic performance, Nataniel has shown leadership on campus through his role in the Honors College Alternative Spring Break program, in his internship at Campus Health, and in his service as a Public Health Ambassador. In his role with Campus Health, Nataniel served at the UArizona vaccination POD and learned about the logistical challenges of a large public health operation.

To enhance his education, Nataniel took advantage of opportunities for hands-on public health work and research. He participated in the Summer Research Institute with the UArizona Graduate College and studied abroad in Peru with the College of Public Health. He shows an exceptional dedication to public health policy how it intersects with the justice system.

“The multidisciplinary approach of MEZCOPH and the diversity of the student body have allowed me to think about health in a different and more nuanced way,” says Nataniel, “Classes ranging from biostatistics to global health have pushed me to think about how multifaceted healthcare is in the country. I will bring this knowledge and experience when I go on to law school and into practice.”

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Larissa Yugay

Online Master of Public Health

Larissa Yugay, second year online MPH student in Health Services Administration, will graduate this spring. She earned her degree while working full time as a Clinical Research Coordinator for the UArizona. Originally from Kazakhstan where she earned an MD/PhD in Neurology, Larissa served a variety of different communities world-wide before focusing on her MPH degree. As she earned her degree, Larissa continued her commitment to community involvement through her internship with a program that provides online education for older adults. During the internship, Larissa identified appropriate methods of data collection, needs assessment techniques, and surveys to evaluate and improve this web-based, community-facing lifelong learning program. Her internship was coordinated through the college’s Division of Public Health Practice and Translational Research. Larissa’s commitment to public health, and its overlapping connections with other disciplines, has been demonstrated throughout her studies. She shows outstanding determination to continue using the full range of her education to support our communities and improve public health.