Washington, D.C.

PROGRAM: MPH, Epidemiology

Attending the 2025 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo in Washington, D.C. was one of the best moments of my journey as a public health graduate student here at UD. I did an oral presentation for one of my research titled ''Food Security and Cardiovascular Health among Economically Disadvantaged U.S. Adults,'' and also received an Epidemiology Student Fellowship Award. I received the award at the Student Awards Ceremony, and it was such a proud and emotional moment for me.

There were over 11,000 public health professionals, students, and leaders from across the country. The theme was “Making the Public’s Health a National Priority.” I really enjoyed the opening general session about rebuilding the U.S. health system and reestablishing health leadership to become the healthiest nation, it was really powerful.

I attended a Career Panel where I learned a lot about career growth and opportunities in public health. I also joined one of the Epidemiology section business meetings and met professionals doing amazing work in different areas. Exploring the Expo was one of my favorite parts, it was full of organizations, universities, companies, government agencies, NGOs, and associations. I talked with people from all kinds of backgrounds, learned what they do, and met students from different schools. It felt exciting to be surrounded by so many passionate people.

I also attended many sessions from different sections like Epidemiology, Food and Nutrition, Maternal and Child Health, Mental Health, and One Health. I really enjoyed talks about aging, artificial intelligence, the “Food is Medicine” program, and cardiovascular diseases. Every session gave me something new to think about.

Overall, this conference was a great experience, I felt inspired by the passion around me. It was truly an unforgettable week and getting to explore some parts of Washington, D.C. made it even better.