Alumni Spotlight: Natalie Daranyi, MPH '16, BS '15, CSP
Alumna Natalie Daranyi appreciates the connection between her public health education at the Zuckerman College of Public Health, and her career that led to her current position leading healthy building design and practice.
For University of Arizona alumna Natalie Daranyi, public health has always been both personal and purposeful. Raised in Tucson in a family of Arizona Wildcats alumni, attending the U of A felt like a natural path for Natalie. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health in 2015 at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health, followed by a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Environmental and Occupational Health in 2016. While her career has since taken her to cities like Seattle, Cincinnati, and now Denver, Natalie says the desert will always have her heart.
Natalie’s passion for public health was sparked during her undergraduate studies when she enrolled in an Environmental and Occupational Health course taught by Dr. Mary Kay O'Rourke. That class proved to be a turning point. “There was no looking back,” she recalls. Natalie enrolled in the college’s 3+2 Accelerated BS/MPH program, allowing her to complete both degrees in just five years. She credits the program’s supportive faculty and hands-on learning environment, especially mentors like Dr. Kelly Reynolds, with providing a strong foundation for her career.
To Natalie, public health is all about collaboration. “The most energizing part of my work is engaging with diverse stakeholders, from scientists and engineers to leadership teams and the public,” she explains. Her goal is to design strategies that are not only effective, but also practical and easy to implement. By doing so, she helps create healthier, safer environments that have a lasting, positive impact on people’s daily lives.
Today, Natalie serves as Chief Business Officer at 9 Foundations (9F), where she leads multidisciplinary project management teams focused on advancing healthy building practices across global real estate portfolios. Her work integrates cutting-edge research with real-world application, including site assessments, healthy building design, and real-time indoor air quality monitoring powered by advanced data analytics.
A key focus of Natalie’s work lies at the intersection of health and sustainability. With the built environment responsible for nearly 40% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, she is helping to bridge the gap between health-promoting building strategies and the industry’s push toward decarbonization. Looking ahead, she is particularly excited about the potential of AI and simulation technologies to further optimize building operations for both energy efficiency and human health.
“I’m proud that this work impacts the spaces where thousands of people live and work every day,” Natalie says. It’s a responsibility she approaches with both innovation and intention.
As a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and a recognized leader in worker health and safety, Natalie continues to exemplify the power of public health in action, combining science, strategy, and collaboration to create healthier environments on a global scale.