Gamma Eta Chapter of Delta Omega announces 2026 inductees

Kate Karpinski, CHES
BHS-PH Student
Columbia, Missouri

Kate is a senior studying public health with minors in law and philosophy. In the fall, she will start her master of public health, and later, law school, in pursuit of her dream to become a health care attorney.

While at Mizzou, she was a part of the honors college, undergraduate student government, and Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity. Outside of Columbia, she spent a summer in Washington, DC with the Kinder Institute Summer Scholars program and interned in Jefferson City for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.

She most recently received the Mizzou ‘39 award and passed her Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam. Kate is endlessly appreciative of her professors, academic advisor, and parents for supporting her through college and setting her up for success in life.

Lillian West
BHS-PH Student
Lone Tree, Colorado

Lillian West is a dedicated college student with a strong interest in public health and social issues. She is passionate about understanding how social systems, health, and communities intersect, and she hopes to pursue a career that allows her to make a meaningful impact on population health.

Lillian is known for her strong work ethic and her ability to balance a demanding academic schedule with leadership and community involvement. She values lifelong learning and is always looking for ways to grow both personally and professionally. Originally from out of state, Lillian found a strong sense of community and belonging during her time in college.

Outside of academics, the people most important to her are her close friends and family, who continue to support and motivate her. She hopes to use her education to contribute to healthier and more equitable communities in the future.

Ethan Greenblatt, MCHES®, CPH
MPH Student
Olivette, Missouri

Ethan Greenblatt, MCHES®, CPH is a public health professional and graduate student pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Promotion & Policy at the University of Missouri–Columbia, where he will graduate in December 2026. He serves as a Health Education Supervisor at the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, where he oversaw the County’s COVID-19 response and continues to lead a team of community health educators working to prevent COVID-19, MPOX, and sexually transmitted infections through outreach, education, and community engagement.

Ethan is passionate about developing strong public health leadership and mentoring the next generation of professionals entering the field. He contributes nationally through involvement with SOPHE, NACCHO, and ASTHO’s DELPH Program, and locally through the Mizzou MPH Graduate Student Association. Ethan is especially grateful for the support of his family, friends, and professional mentors who have helped shape his growth as a public health leader.

Ellen Gruebbeling, BS
MPH Student
O’Fallon, Missouri

Ellen is a second-year student within the Mizzou MPH program. Ellen has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UMSL, where she also had the opportunity to participate in a behavioral neuroscience lab as a research assistant. She currently works with an incredible group on an Alzheimer’s clinical trial in St. Louis, employed as a Clinical Research Coordinator II.

Ellen’s strong commitment to research and interests in health and community-related research influenced her decision to pursue an MPH degree. Ellen hopes to continue working in clinical research, utilizing and expanding the skills gained throughout her coursework. She values the support received from family, friends, and colleagues throughout her academic and professional career.

Ellen currently resides in St. Charles County, having grown up around the St. Louis. Ellen enjoys spending time with her dogs as well as family and friends. 

Asia Williams, MPH
MPH Student
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Asia Williams is a Louisiana native whose path into public health has been shaped by both personal experience and professional dedication. Growing up in Baton Rouge, she witnessed firsthand how environmental events and structural inequities can influence the health of both people and animals, inspiring her commitment to a more equitable health system. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health at the University of Missouri, with a focus on One Health and zoonotic disease.

Alongside her academic training, Asia has worked extensively as a veterinary technician, supporting complex patient care and interdisciplinary teams. She aspires to bridge veterinary medicine and public health to improve outcomes in underserved communities. Asia is deeply grounded by her family, her close friendships, and the animals that continue to shape her purpose.

Jordan Bales, MPH
Alumni Inductee
Columbia, Missouri

Jordan Bales is a St. Louis–born public health professional dedicated to advancing community health through data-driven decision-making and strong community partnerships. She has experience at both the local and state levels across a variety of public health areas, including HIV/STI prevention, vector control, outreach and education, epidemiology, and grant management.

Jordan currently serves as the Environmental Health & Safety Manager at Columbia/Boone County Public Health & Human Services. She earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Missouri and has lived in Columbia full-time since 2020. Outside of her professional work, Jordan enjoys spending time outdoors, volunteering in her community, and being with her husband, family, friends, and her two Dobermans.

Oyundari Batsaikhan, DDS, MPH, PhD(c)
Alumni Inductee
Hiroshima, Japan

Oyundari Batsaikhan is a public health practitioner with a diverse background in health promotion, policy, epidemiology, and global public health. Currently a researcher and Ph.D. candidate in Medicine, she focuses on public health and health policy. She has gained extensive experience across multiple public health settings, contributing to health initiatives, research activities, and program implementation.

Her work has included coordinating public health efforts, supporting scientific research, and contributing to disease prevention and health system strengthening. She brings skills in program development, project coordination, and collaborative research, and has contributed to both academic and applied public health efforts. She holds a Master of Public Health with an emphasis in Health Promotion and Policy from the University of Missouri–Columbia.

Deeply committed to advancing global health, she aims to support equitable health outcomes and improve population well-being worldwide. She sincerely values the continued support of her family, mentors, and colleagues in shaping her journey.

Angel Benjamin, MPH, CHES
Alumni Inductee
Columbia, Missouri

Angel Benjamin is a recent Master of Public Health graduate from the University of Missouri–Columbia and a Certified Health Education Specialist. She is deeply committed to advancing health equity through community engagement, with a focus on health promotion, behavioral health, and community-based prevention.

During her graduate studies, Angel served as a Graduate Research Assistant, contributing to statewide maternal and child health initiatives through data analysis and community-informed assessments. She also completed a practicum with the Boone County Department of Public Health, where she supported population-based health promotion and overdose prevention efforts.

Currently, Angel works with Missouri Partners in Prevention, analyzing statewide substance use data to guide evidence-based strategies across higher education systems. She plans to pursue a PhD in Epidemiology, focusing on health disparities and population-level research. Angel is deeply grateful for the support of her family and mentors, whose guidance has shaped her professional journey.

Kaylea Nemechek, MPH
Alumni Inductee
Marietta, Georgia

Kaylea Nemechek is an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she contributes to advancing public health initiatives at the federal level through work in outbreak response and disease surveillance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Kansas State University as well as a Master of Public Health in Veterinary Public Health and a graduate certificate in Epidemiology from the University of Missouri. During her academic career, she revived the Master of Public Health Graduate Student organization and served as its President, demonstrating a strong commitment to leadership and community engagement.

Kaylea is passionate about modernizing public health systems and addressing emerging and persisting public health challenges. She is dedicated to making a meaningful impact through evidence-based science and strong collaboration with state and local public health agencies. As she continues her career, she remains focused on advancing public health through data modernization and effective public health responses during a critical time for the field.

Andrew Seman, MPH
Alumni Inductee
Columbia, Missouri

Andrew Seman, a proud Mizzou alum, is dedicated to advancing public health and serving communities across Missouri. Passionate about health equity, community health education, and policy, he currently serves as the Ending the HIV Epidemic Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. In this role, he works to expand the care continuum and improve outcomes for individuals living with HIV.

He credits the mentorship and guidance of Mizzou’s faculty, staff, and peers for shaping his professional interests, leadership style, and career aspirations. He hopes to build on that foundation by supporting future Mizzou students, alums, and public health professionals. He is honored to be inducted into Delta Omega’s Gamma Eta Chapter and grateful for the unwavering support of his closest friends, his father, mother, and younger brother. He also thanks the MPH program for bringing him and his fiancée together.

Dr. Leslie Corey Sloan, EdD, MPH, MS, MA
Alumni Inductee
Cameron, Missouri

Dr. Leslie Corey Sloan is a public health scholar, educator, and public safety professional with more than 37 years of experience spanning law enforcement, emergency management, EMS, disaster preparedness, and public health practice. He earned his Master of Public Health in Public Health Policy and Promotion from the University of Missouri in 2022 with a 4.0 GPA and is currently completing a Ph.D. in Epidemiology. Dr. Sloan serves as Chief Deputy Sheriff for Gentry County, CEO and Principal Consultant of Viking Emergency Preparedness Consultants, LLC, and adjunct faculty at both A.T. Still University and Missouri Western State University.

His work focuses on strengthening public health systems in rural and underserved communities through research, education, workforce development, and emergency preparedness. Through teaching, consulting, and service, he remains committed to bridging public health research and real-world practice to improve community health outcomes.

Harshita Uchenia, MPH, MSc, BSc
Alumni Inductee
Columbia, Missouri

Harshita Uchenia is a PhD student in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Missouri, with a focus on behavioral science. Her research focuses on the impact of social media on the psychological well-being of individuals with disabilities, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. She serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and is currently working on several systematic reviews, including Opioid eHealth interventions.

Harshita has conducted extensive fieldwork across Missouri, including maternal and child health assessments and interviews for statewide reports. She has also contributed to the Missouri Prison Transformation Project, where she conducted interviews with incarcerated individuals.

Outside academia, Harshita enjoys music and spending time outdoors. She values close relationships with friends and family as sources of strength and resilience, and is the first in her family’s generation to pursue a PhD abroad in the United States.

Michaella Ward, PhD, MPH, MSW
Alumni Inductee
Shreveport, Louisiana

Michaella Ward, PhD, MPH, MSW is an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport. At Mizzou, she was an MPH/MSW student where her passion for public health led her to also complete the Graduate Certificate in Epidemiology and volunteer at MedZou Community Health Clinic, an experience that cemented her commitment to equity-centered public health practice. She went on to earn her PhD from Indiana University School of Public Health. In 2025, she joined the faculty at LSU Health Shreveport’s MPH Program.

Now back in her hometown, Michaella brings that training full circle by teaching MPH courses that were among her favorites at Mizzou and building a scholarly practice focused on health equity through community-engaged and intervention research in public health and health professions education. She is honored to be recognized by the Gamma Eta chapter and grateful to the mentors and communities that made this path possible.

Parvina Yakubova, MS, MPH
Alumni Inductee
Columbia, Missouri

Parvina is a dedicated professional with a strong interest in public health, data analysis, and geographic information systems (GIS). She currently works on healthcare workforce research at the University of Missouri, where she analyzes large datasets to better understand community needs and improve access to care.

Her experience includes using tools such as Python, ArcGIS Pro, and Excel to generate meaningful, data-driven insights. She is detail-oriented, with strong problem-solving skills and a commitment to high-quality work.

Parvina is passionate about using data to inform policy and support healthier communities. She is grateful for the support of her family, mentors, and colleagues. This fall, she will begin a PhD in Translational Biosciences at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, focusing on Precision and Population Health.

Latiffah Hassan, DVM, PhD
Faculty Inductee
Columbia, Missouri

Dr. Latiffah Hassan is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Public Health at the University of Missouri. A Cornell University graduate and Veterinary Public Health Epidemiologist, she has dedicated over two decades to advancing public health at the intersection of animal and human health. Her career includes significant leadership at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), where she served as a Professor, Head of Department, and Chair of the Accredited Veterinary Service Laboratory.

As an early pioneer of the One Health movement in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, Dr. Hassan has worked extensively with national ministries on critical health issues and regional capacity building. Much of her work has focused on training ministerial officers, academics, and students through USAID-funded initiatives such as RESPOND, One Health Workforce, and OHW-NextGen. Her contributions range from high-impact research in journals like The Lancet to the practical development of training modules, technical protocols, and strategic plans.

Currently, she also serves as Co-Chair of the Lancet Commission on Prevention of Viral Spillover, sits on the UC Global Health Institute Advisory Board, and contributes to the editorial and advisory boards of several leading scientific journals. She resides in Columbia with her husband, Dr. Steven Krauss, an Associate Professor in the MU College of Education, and their three children.

Chad Higgins, PhD
Honorary Inductee
Columbia, Missouri

Chad Higgins is vice chancellor for extension and engagement at the University of Missouri. He also serves as chief engagement officer for the University of Missouri System.

Dr. Higgins provides leadership support innovative, relevant programming and partnerships to solve Missouri’s grand challenges related to agriculture, the economy, education and health. He also plays a key role in evolving the land-grant mission of the university to meet the changing needs of Missourians.

Previously, Dr. Higgins served as associate vice chancellor overseeing the day-to-day programmatic and administrative components of the educational programs and initiatives for the MU Office of Extension and Engagement.

Before coming to Missouri, Dr. Higgins served as senior director of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. He also brings more than 20 years of extensive teaching, mentoring, curriculum development, evaluation and reporting experience from past roles at Louisiana State University, West Virginia and Idaho State universities and their extension and outreach components.

Katrina Cox, DVM
MPH Student, President-Elect
Jonesborough, Tennessee

Katrina Cox is a small animal veterinarian pursuing a Master’s in Public Health with focuses in veterinary medicine and epidemiology. She has strong interests in neglected tropical diseases, environmental work, and equity work. She has a Bachelor of Science in biology, with focuses in French, chemistry, and music.

In veterinary medicine, she is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association, the Feline Veterinary Medical Association, and she is USDA-APHIS certified. The people most important to her are her family; she cares for her mother and has two college-aged children. Her career goals are working in the U.S. or abroad to address infectious disease, maternal health, and equity.

Katrina is being inducted as the president-elect, and she will serve as the Gamma Eta chapter president for the 2026-27 academic year.