MPH Students Embrace Innovative Approaches to Public Health Leadership

At USC, public health students aren’t just studying leadership — they’re imagining bold and innovative alternatives to the status quo. This semester, students enrolled in the PM 564: Public Health Leadership and Management course took on some of the most urgent health challenges in the world, demonstrating the power of innovative and strategic thinking.

“The applied learning foundation of this course fosters a hands-on, solution-oriented approach to public health leadership,” says Ans Irfan, MD, EdD, DrPH, ScD, MPH, MRPL, director of digital learning and innovation and associate professor of population and public health sciences at Keck School of Medicine of USC. “In this course, students engaged in complex, community-centered projects designed to break down systemic barriers and create lasting change.”

Through an iterative, think-tank model, students developed bold, evidence-based interventions that move beyond academic discussion to real-world impact. Their work culminated in the Spring 2025 Social Innovation Symposium, a dynamic space where future public health leaders presented actionable solutions that blended research, ethics, and strategic implementation.

“We don’t just train public health professionals; we cultivate visionaries who challenge broken systems and innovate for justice, as you can see reflected in the very thorough and detailed approaches to taking bold ideas and turning them into actionable organizations. This course is a testament to how emerging leaders can drive systemic change—not in the distant future, but right now, ” says Irfan.

The student’s projects addressed a wide range of pressing but often overlooked issues, including digital health pitfalls within the healthcare system, housing as a structural determinant of health, substance dependence, and disproportionate chemical exposures.

“This isn’t just about accredited education — it’s about transformation through a leadership lens,” says Irfan. “Our students are stepping up as leaders, ready to drive real change and propose solutions that remove barriers in the communities with the greatest need.”

Here, we invite you to enjoy the Social Innovation Symposium presentations:

Spring 2025 Social Innovation Symposium

Bridging Digital Healthcare
Scholars: Alyssa Bien, Brenda Carranza, Leslie Carrasco, Bashir Alizada, Katarina Conces, Clarice Ariciaga

Housing Insecurity and Public Health Solutions (HEPHS)
Scholars: Jocelyn Dominguez, Evan Hird, Geolina Ibrahim, Safiya Farah, Olivia Estrada, Natalie Estrada

Substance Dependency Research & Recovery (SDRR)
Scholars: Megan Makepeace, Chiara McCartney, Alejandro Morgana, Diana Morvey, Janet Ngallo

The Exposure Lab
Scholars: Christy Sidhu, Parul Sharma, Rushni Wickramasinghe, Alicia Thoe, & Ritu Thakker