Lady Elli

Lady Dorothy Avila Elli earned her Masters of Public Health in Global Health. She began her journey with the College of Public Health as an undergraduate, and graduated with her BS in Public Health in 2023. During her time as an MPH student Lady has shown outstanding leadership qualities in the college as Co-Chair for the Global Health Alliance group and Co-Chair for the Student Affairs Committee. At the university level, she served on the Graduate Professional Student Council to address the needs of graduate students. In addition, she pursued impactful research projects in Indonesia and the Philippines!

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Lady Dorothy Avila Elli
MPH in Global Health

Lady Dorothy Elli earned her Masters of Public Health in Global Health. She began her journey with the College of Public Health as an undergraduate, and graduated with her BS in Public Health in 2023. During her time as an MPH student Lady has shown outstanding leadership in the college, serving as Co-Chair for the Global Health Alliance group and as Co-Chair for the Student Affairs Committee. At the university level, she served on the Graduate Professional Student Council to address the needs of graduate students. Lady is one of two recipients of the 2025 Student Life Award.

Beyond the university, Lady also served as a This is Public Health Ambassador for the national Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health, the ASPPH, where she represented the college and promoted public health initiatives and career pathways.

For her Applied Practice Experience (part of the MPH degree requirements) Lady travelled to Indonesia where she conducted an independent research project to study cultural stigma around tuberculosis in collaboration with researchers from the regional Universitas Jenderal Soedirman.

Lady additionally pursued a project with the college’s Global Flu View Spark program, and worked to establish a participatory influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance system in the Philippines. She worked with the Epidemiology Bureau in the national Department of Health to discuss implementation of a system that would enable Filipinos to self-report ILI symptoms in order to enhance real-time health data collection and early detection through the Global Flu View Flu Pulse platform.

For her GFV Spark project, Lady Elli worked to establish a participatory influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance system in the Philippines. She worked with the Epidemiology Bureau in the national Department of Health to discuss implementation of a system that would enable Filipinos to self-report ILI symptoms in order to enhance real-time health data collection and early detection through the Global Flu View Flu Pulse platform.

During her time as an MPH student, Lady has accomplished so much, and given so much to enhance the experience of her fellow students and our college community. Thank you and Congratulations Lady!

For this profile, we asked Lady about what shaped her experience in the college as she pursued her MPH degree.

Q: What inspired you about the projects and/or programs you worked on? What did you learn?

A: Each of the projects and programs I participated in represented a different field of public health because, for my MPH, my goal was to explore what fields I could genuinely see myself working in long term. I wanted to understand what roles felt meaningful to me, and the only way to figure that out was by immersing myself in a range of experiences, which I am so grateful I was able to do.

I have a strong interest in global health research, especially research that involves collaborating with local stakeholders around the world. That is why my experience doing TB stigma research in Indonesia meant so much to me. I worked alongside local partners and research collaborators and that work showed me what it means to engage in ethical, collaborative global health research. I definitely see myself continuing on this path while also mentoring future public health students and contributing to the field through both research and teaching.

My TB research was especially personal and something I hold close to my heart. During my senior year as an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona, my great aunt, Lola Let, passed away due to complications from TB during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Public health impacts people every day, not just in the face of tragedy like losing my great aunt, but also in the triumphs of disease prevention and community resilience. I want my story to be one of triumph, not loss. Doing TB research in Southeast Asia (as someone from the Philippines who immigrated to the US) was one of the most meaningful ways I could give back and contribute to ongoing efforts to address TB stigma and control.

Along the way, I have learned the value of cultural immersion, humility, and mutual respect in global health. I strongly believe in the ongoing conversation about decolonizing global health. It is important that we not only engage respectfully with local communities during the research process but also ensure we are giving credit where it is due, even after the fieldwork is completed.

None of this work would be possible without the dedication and expertise of our local partners, and they deserve to be recognized fully. With that said, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Bu Siwi Wijayanti, our research collaborator from UNSOED with whom we partnered to conduct research in Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Indonesia. I also give my heartfelt thanks to Pak Ahmad Fuady from Universitas Indonesia, who supported me from the very beginning in shaping the direction of my research, and further to my hardworking, passionate, and dedicated research assistants, Adinda Syifa Ramadhani Wibisono and Radi, for their outstanding contributions throughout the study.

Q: Did you have a teacher or mentor who especially inspired you? How and why?

A: Dr. Priscilla Magrath, my faculty advisor, has been my biggest source of support throughout this journey. Our story began when I took one of her online classes. I had feedback on the course (typical of me) and instead of dismissing it, she invited me to become a preceptor for one of her global health classes, even though I had not taken that specific course before. She saw the work I was doing at the university, supported my growth, and eventually nominated me for the W.A. Franke Honors College Most Outstanding Senior Award, which I received in 2023.

I was also fortunate to be matched with Dr. Magrath as my advisor for my MPH. She traveled with me to Indonesia during the first few weeks of my fieldwork, opened her networks in Indonesia to me, and helped me grow as a student researcher. Without her guidance, I could not have achieved so many things, including the First Place Award for Original Research at the 2025 MEZCOPH Public Health Poster Forum. Dr. Magrath taught me to never settle for doing things just to check a box, but instead to do them thoroughly, ethically, and with care.

I am also incredibly grateful to so many individuals at the college who have made my time here meaningful. I want to thank Anaiz Acosta, who served as the advisor for the Graduate Ambassadors; Kim Barnes, my academic advisor; Lyn Durán, who has worked with me closely on Student Affairs Committee events; and Monica Muñoz, who has been so helpful in managing meeting logistics and supporting graduate student activities. Thank you as well to Roxanna Apaez and Michael Tearne for supporting student engagement and leading many of the events that help students feel connected and involved.

I am grateful to Dr. Gabriela Valdez, the advisor for the Global Health Alliance. She has been a consistent mentor throughout my time here and has offered helpful feedback for my next steps after graduation. I would also like to thank Dean Hakim for being so accessible and supportive towards students at MEZCOPH, and Lorraine Varela for her continuous encouragement and letters of recommendation. I want to give a special thanks to our alumni engagement team, including Amber Richmond and Natalie Bedolla, for always being present and supportive at student events.

A huge thank you as well to Shipherd Reed, Paula Hayes, and the student communications workers at MEZCOPH for always featuring student events, helping to get the word out, and consistently showcasing my work on our platforms. I am so grateful for that support. I have such deep, deep appreciation for you all!

Q:  What else would you like to add? Please share anything that was not addressed in the other questions.

A: This part is not so much about me, it is for anyone interested in public health. If you are reading this and feel motivated to pursue a graduate degree or any degree in the Zuckerman College of Public Health, do it! You have me in your corner. Just by reading this and getting a small glimpse into who I am and what I have worked on during my time in the college, you already have a supporter and someone in your network.

The College of Public Health is one of the most supportive environments I have ever been a part of. Whether it is funding, mentorship, research, or community building, the support is there. I can say this genuinely, having worked closely with students, staff, and faculty during my MPH.

So please, do not hesitate. Apply. Join. Be part of this field. Public health, and global health, need more passionate, driven individuals like you. I promise: the journey will be worth it!

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