After earning her BA in biology from the University of Connecticut in 2019, Natalie Anderson completed her Master’s in Public Health (MPH) degree in Dartmouth’s 11-month MPH program in 2020. Upon graduating, she immediately began a public health associate fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“When I started, my work was very focused on the pandemic,” explains Anderson. “Initially I was involved in a lot of planning, survey design and dissemination, and data analysis—all in an effort to support the state’s ability to get providers, and then the public, enrolled into Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccine program.”

Anderson credits her time at Dartmouth for preparing her well for the position. “On top of the strong network of supportive colleagues that I built, the diversity of coursework and experiences, including classes on survey methods and data analysis, were very helpful. It allowed me to immediately succeed to a point where they trusted me to take on some major tasks that I don’t think I could have otherwise,” says Anderson.

After 15 months as a fellow, Anderson accepted a position as an epidemiologist with the Connecticut Department of Public Health. In her current role, she meets with providers across the state, providing education and quality improvement tools to help ensure on-time vaccinations for pediatric and adolescent populations.

“The pandemic has definitely taken a toll on pediatric and adolescent routine vaccination rates,” she says, “so this quality improvement work that we’re doing is probably more important now than ever.”

While her goals include continuing to work for the state and taking on more leadership roles in the future, Anderson’s primary focus is on making a positive impact on the health of her community. “I went to public health because I love people, and I want to help people,” she says. “Any day that I get to do that is a real win for me.”

While completing a 15-month public health associate fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Anderson applied many of the lessons learned in earning her MPH from The Dartmouth Institute—including survey design and dissemination and data analysis—to support the State of Connecticut’s rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.

That included helping to lead a project called Operation Matchmaker, where she worked with pharmacies and long-term care (LTC) facilities across the state to help ensure that COVID-19 vaccine needs were met for both LTC residents and staff.

In her current role as an epidemiologist for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Anderson is working with providers to help them get families and kids back up to date with routine vaccinations after COVID-19. As the adolescent immunization coordinator for the state, she is particularly concerned about the decline in HPV vaccinations.

“It’s not a mandatory vaccine for school, and there’s a lot of stigma and vaccine hesitancy among parents to contend with,” Anderson says. “So, the work we’re doing there is vital. I’m really glad that I get to work with providers, helping them with the education and tools they need to have those conversations with families.”