Joy Noel Ontman, CHES
BHSPH Student
Kansas City, Missouri

Joy Noel Ontman earned a Bachelor of Health Science in Public Health from the University of Missouri in 2024 and became a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) the same year. With a passion for health equity, she has focused her academic work on research for immigrant women’s health in the U.S. and policy solutions for improving women’s mental health in rural Egypt. Her experience includes over two years of health policy research and program development, emphasizing community-based interventions.

She has spent the past few years living in rural Egypt, where she taught English to children and engaged with local communities to understand barriers to women’s well-being. Inspired by her experiences abroad and the unwavering support of her husband, a Beni Suef local, she hopes to continue advocating for sustainable health initiatives that empower marginalized populations. She is honored to be recognized by Delta Omega and looks forward to contributing to the field of public health.

Lauren McQuade
BHSPH Student
Fenton, Missouri

Lauren McQuade will graduate with her Bachelor of Health Science in Public Health, with minors in Wellness and Nutritional Sciences and certificates in Fitness Programming and Management and Multicultural Studies, in May of 2025. Following graduation, she will attend Washington University in St. Louis to pursue a Master of Social Policy degree, with plans to ultimately work in women’s health policy.

During her undergraduate career, she has been involved with the Substance Use Prevention Advisory Commission and the Mayor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Health within the City of Columbia. She has also completed internships with the Missouri Sierra Club, working to improve environmental health throughout the state of Missouri. At Mizzou, she founded and led Golden Connections, a senior outreach club working to minimize loneliness among residents in assisted living communities and foster relationships between generations.

McKenna Mozingo
BHSPH Student

McKenna Mozingo is a third-year public health undergraduate student with minors in sociology, data science, and law. As the founder and president of the University of Missouri’s chapter of End Overdose, she has led initiatives to combat the opioid crisis through education, advocacy, and harm reduction strategies. Her commitment to addressing systemic health disparities extends into research, where she has contributed to studies on cannabis use during pregnancy and nutrition security disparities among marginalized populations.

Beyond her academic work, McKenna is passionate about expanding access to healthcare as a fundamental right, and healthcare reform. Her experiences navigating healthcare inequities firsthand have shaped her dedication to preventive care and policy change. In her free time, she enjoys pottery, camping, and creating new recipes. She is constantly inspired by her friends, sisters, and her Aunt, who is deeply committed to making a difference in healthcare and leading with compassion

Nina Guarisco, CHES
BHSPH Student
Frisco, Texas

Nina Guarisco is a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Public Health, graduating summa cum laude with a minor in Spanish and Multicultural & Honors certificates. Passionate about the intersection of clinical medicine and public health, she aspires to bridge gaps in healthcare access and education as a future Physician Assistant.

At Mizzou, Nina has demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership, service, and research. She has served as Vice President of Risk Management for Alpha Chi Omega, remains an active member of Mizzou’s Pre-Physician Assistant Association, and volunteers with MedZou Clinic, providing care to underserved populations. She is also a Certified Peer Educator with the Wellness Resource Center, promoting student well-being through health education initiatives.

In addition to her campus involvement, Nina contributes to CDC-partnered research examining vaccine hesitancy and immunization rates in Missouri as an Undergraduate Research Paraprofessional. Her dedication to academic excellence was recognized in 2023 when she was named the Honors College’s Distinguished Sophomore

Rachel Finan, BHS
BHSPH Student
Wildwood, Missouri

Rachel Finan is a senior from St. Louis, Missouri, and will be graduating this May. She is involved in a multitude of campus organizations including Kappa Delta, the Transfer Engagement and Mentor Program, Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity, Mizzou’s Running Club and Veritas Student Ministries. She has a love for health policy and has been fortunate enough to intern in the state capitol through the University of Missouri CLIPS program, as well as go to DC through the DC Pathways Program.

Her passion for public health was cultivated through her parents, Tom and Penny, who have worked in not-for-profit advocacy and hospice nursing, respectively. She is incredibly thankful to her family for their unwavering support, and strives to be a positive influence for her niece, Sienna, who will hopefully be a future tiger. She is currently awaiting law school admissions decisions for this upcoming year.

Cydney Mayfield, JD, MPH
MPH Student
Columbia, Missouri

Cydney D. Mayfield, JD, MPH(c), is an accomplished attorney and public health professional with over two decades of legal and healthcare experience. She currently serves as the Program Project Manager for the Life Sciences Griffiths Lab & Laboratory of Infectious Disease Research at the University of Missouri-Columbia, overseeing high-level research initiatives, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder collaborations. Prior to this role, she led clinical research strategy and compliance within the School of Medicine, ensuring adherence to FDA and federal regulations. As an experienced municipal attorney and prosecutor, Cydney provides legal counsel for multiple Missouri municipalities, specializing in regulatory law, compliance, and public health policy.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Cydney is deeply engaged in her community, serving on the Missouri Symphony Board and the Missouri Conservation Federation Board. A lifelong advocate for conservation and the arts, she enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, and exploring Missouri’s natural beauty. She is also a devoted mother to her 16-year-old son, Dalton, with whom she shares a love of adventure and the outdoors.

Jenny Ho, BHS, HRS
MPH Student
Kansas City, Missouri

Jenny Ho, BHS, HRS, is a 2nd-year student in the Master of Public Health program, with an emphasis in Health Promotion and Policy. She received her BHS from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2019. A proud St. Louis native and first-generation Asian American, she is passionate about health equity in underserved communities, with a particular focus on sexual health education, HIV/STI prevention, and harm reduction.

By day, Jenny is a project coordinator for federal grant initiatives providing support around education and training for topics related to opioid and substance use disorder. By night, she can be found at home with her two beloved cats, Lily and Pico de Gato, who provide moral support but refuse to help with her work.

Daniel Kish, DVM
MPH Student
Hampstead, North Carolina

Dr. Daniel Kish is a public health and emergency preparedness veterinarian for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. He received his veterinary degree from Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine in Tennessee. He practiced equine private practice for 5 years in Kentucky and Minnesota before pursuing his passions in public health and emergency management. Dr. Kish has a passion for veterinary medicine and strives to promote animal health and agriculture through One Health principles. He is grateful to all his mentors who have helped him along the way and continue to guide him along his career path and especially thankful for the unwavering support of his wife and family while pursuing his professional goals.

Chelsea Rodriguez, CHES
MPH Student
San Antonio, Texas

Chelsea Rodriguez is a combat veteran who served in the U.S. Army as a public health specialist, where she found her deep passion for serving underserved communities, especially women and LGBTQ+ veterans and service members who often face systemic barriers to care. Upon completion of her military career, Chelsea earned her Bachelor of Health Science in Public Health from Mizzou in 2023 and is currently pursuing her MPH and MPA concurrently from Mizzou with a planned graduation date of December 2025.

Chelsea works as a Senior Data Analyst Consultant for Rutgers University in support of the Department of Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center for Excellence. In her role, Chelsea helps advance critical research and policy efforts to improve veterans’ health outcomes. She is driven by a commitment to equity, dignity, and access in healthcare for all who have served. Chelsea credits much of her success to her wife, Jacqueline, whose unwavering support, love, and encouragement have been the foundation of her journey.

Silas Davidson, PhD
MPH Student
Kailua, Hawaii

Silas Davidson is a second-year MPH student in the Veterinary Public Health emphasis area. He has served as a medical entomologist in the United States Army for the past 19 years. Before joining the military, he completed a PhD in Entomology from Colorado State University. His career has involved living in many different locations, including overseas assignments to Germany, South Korea, and Thailand. He currently lives in Hawaii. The favorite parts of his career have been the challenges of providing public health support to soldiers in deployed environments, conducting research on vector-borne diseases, and teaching assignments. He plans to continue a career in public health after leaving the military. He is particularly interested in the One Health concept and the need to develop better control strategies for zoonotic and vector-borne diseases.

Audrey Proctor
MPH Student
Freeburg, Illinois

Audrey Proctor is a second-year MPH student with plans to graduate in December 2025 with an epidemiology certificate. She received undergraduate degrees in Public Health: Nutrition and Biology and Pre-Physician Assistant Studies from Southeast Missouri State University in 2021. Shortly after graduation, Audrey interned with the Cape Girardeau County Health Department and assisted with many functions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the county’s Rural Health Clinic. Alongside her studies, Audrey worked as an ER Technician for 2.5 years and saw how public health infrastructure and the US healthcare system affects patients; this fueled her desire to enroll at MU and learn more about how public health programs and resources can foster positive patient outcomes.

Currently, she does quality assurance for a government contracting company while being a full-time student. Audrey will sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam in May. Upon graduation, she hopes to work for a state or federal public health agency doing program planning or disease surveillance. Audrey would like to thank her family, partner, friends, and co-workers who have always encouraged her throughout her educational career.

Julie Kapp, MPH, PhD, Fellow in the American College of Epidemiology (FACE)
Faculty Inductee
Columbia, Missouri

Dr. Kapp is an associate professor in the MU Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, and serves as Department Chair and Director of Graduate Studies. Dr. Kapp is nationally recognized by the American College of Epidemiology as a fellow for her significant and sustained contributions to the field of epidemiology. She is also a Malcolm Baldrige Executive Fellow, a competitive distinction bestowed by the U.S. Department of Commerce Undersecretary for Standards & Technology.

Dr. Kapp’s research has been highlighted in The New York Times, Psychology Today, USA Today, and Yahoo! Health, among other outlets. She has been awarded a variety of federal funding, including from NCI, NSF, CDC, HRSA, and USDA. Her research interests include a consequentialist epidemiology approach to population health.

Jason Furrer, PhD, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Honorary Inductee
Columbia, Missouri

Dr. Furrer teaches Micro2800: Microbio for Nursing and Allied Health, seeing many of the public health and health-professions students as they enter programs.  He is an active advocate for well-trained and knowledgable public health professionals, vaccines, epidemiology, and encourages all his students to be successful in the field.