Student Spotlight: Amy Bianco, MPH'24

Applying Classroom Lessons to Real-World Settings

As Director of Health Policy for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Amy Bianco MPH ’24 is heavily engaged in public health-related work. Specifically, she worked directly within her state’s COVID-19 Command Center during her tenure, managing pandemic response efforts.  

“Through these experiences, I have had the privilege of working closely with and learning from many public health experts and was inspired to strengthen my skills and expand my knowledge base through formal public health education,” says Bianco, a second-year student in Geisel’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program, who earned a BA in political science and government at Colby College in Maine. Below, she talks about the value of attaining an MPH degree at Geisel. 

Q: Why did you choose to pursue your MPH degree at Dartmouth? 

A: I chose to pursue my degree at Dartmouth, as it has given me the opportunity to continue advancing my career while also working on my master’s degree. I further appreciated the multi-faceted curriculum and recognition of the practical and real-life application of public health beyond just research. 

Q: How has your Dartmouth education influenced your career? 

A: Pursuing my MPH while also working full time has strengthened my contributions as an employee while also providing an opportunity to connect real-life scenarios to my coursework. It’s made all of the conversations we have in the program so much richer because we’re folding in our professional experiences with the experiences in the classroom. 

Q: What experiences in the MPH program have really stood out for you? 

A: In the Applied Practice Experience component of our coursework, we got to present the findings from our major research projects to the Dartmouth community. My project focused on creating a pragmatic path towards primary care sustainability—allowing me to develop key recommendations for healthcare system workers, policymakers, and other stakeholders on how we can fill gaps in primary care, particularly in our most needed areas. 

Building on that project, I hope to continue my work in public service or transition to policy work within the provider/system space with continued focus on strengthening partnerships at the local, state, and federal levels. 

POSTED 2/13/2024 AT 12:22 PM IN #education #studentspotlight #hybridmph