Student Organizations

Undergraduate

As an undergraduate student at Pitt Public Health, you have a choice of nearly 700 University groups and associations to help you complement your academic experience. Simply visit the links below to get started!

University-wide Organizations – Browse all or choose the dropdown category that best fits your interests.

Student Organization Resource Center (SORC) – Get support for managing your organization or learn about maintaining your registration status.

Start a New Organization – Learn more about establishing a University-wide organization — or even one that directly enhances the new undergraduate studies at the School of Public Health.

Graduate

Student organizations are an excellent way for Pitt Public Health graduate students to actively engage in structured work that influences their learning environment by focusing on local and global public health topics. Explore the diverse range of organizations below designed to reinforce your individual areas of interest and research.

Student Government Association (SGA)

SGA serves as a school-wide umbrella for seven sub-organizations that provide forums for students to share experiential wisdom, socialize with peers, and contribute to large projects on student programming with the Office of Student Affairs. 

President: Danielle Nahas
VP: Aparna Ramani 
Business Manager: Drew Tate
Administrator: Shayla Preston
Organization Email: pph.sga@gmail.com
Advisor: Mike Dolinger

Black Public Health Association

The Black Public Health Association serves to provide Black graduate and undergraduate students interested in or directly involved in public health at the University of Pittsburgh with a specific professional and interpersonal space to connect, share resources and seek mentorship. 

President: Ruel Beresford
Vice President: Rena Reid
Treasurer: Sade Tukuru
Faculty advisor: Brittany Brown-Podgorski

Doctoral Student Organization (DSO)

DSO provides an ongoing structure encouraging interaction among Pitt Public Health doctoral students and faculty, with an emphasis on developing an informal network of contacts to facilitate research efforts. There are no dues, and monthly meetings during the school year are open to all members. The group offers an informal student network for the exchange of information and ideas.

Executive Board:
President: Marisa Millenson
Vice President: Haley Director
Business Manager: Katherine Kim
Organization Email: dsopph@pitt.edu
Staff Advisor: Mike Dolinger

Fostering Opportunities to Recognize, Welcome and Advance Racially Diverse Students (FORWARDS)

The purpose of the Fostering Opportunities to Recognize, Welcome, and Advance Racially Diverse Students of the Graduate School of Public Health shall be to promote and to enhance the development of the academic, professional, and social aims and interests of the racial and ethnic minoritized populations of the student body of the Graduate School of Public Health; to promote student, alumni, and community interest in and interaction with the Graduate School of Public Health; to advance the interest and involvement of alumni and students in the Public Health profession; and to propagate the ethics of the Public Health profession.

President: Maya Thakar
Events Coordinator: Fatimah Dixon
Organization Email: Pittforwards@gmail.com 
Staff Advisor: Lora Ann Bray

Global Health Student Association (GHSA)

The GHSA promotes interest in global health issues among Pitt Public Health students by facilitating information exchanges among researchers, global health organizations, and the many international students at the school. In addition, the group organizes speaker series, Peace Corps information sessions, and research and service projects abroad.

President: Amanda Lucas
Vice President: Durga Mahapatra
Business Manager: Chaviva Lebovits
Organization Email: ghsa@pitt.edu
Faculty Advisor: Cynthia Salter

Health Policy and Management Association (HPMA)

HPMA allows students to gain an understanding of the working policy and management aspect of public health through active engagement with industry health care organizations. Members interact in local and national professional development activities and community service projects, shaping future leaders who are ethically responsible and community aware. HPMA is an active participant in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Higher Education Network, allowing students the opportunity to attend educational events and to develop mentorship bonds with health care executives across the country.

President: Jordan Perkins
VP: Priyanka Gupta
Business Manager (Treasurer): Ngozichukwu Ibe
Events Coordinator: Destiny Scaief
Faculty Advisor: Kevin Broom
Organization Email: hpma@pitt.edu 

Leaders in Intersectional Public Health and Equity (LIPHE)

The focus of LIPHE is to encourage individuals to approach public health and navigate life with an intersectional and equity-informed stance. LIPHE community seeks to adopt a more contextual understanding of how health impacts people according to intersections of social identity, inclusive of gender, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, nationality, religion, age and ability. Rooted in the previous name, the Association of Women in Public Health, LIPHE seek to uplift the voices of and share experiences of health across different lived experiences, and further knowledge of how to support and advance initiatives for health equity.

President: Kayla Ortiz
Undergrad Liason: Nehal Charkraborty
Organization Email: awph@pitt.edu
Faculty Advisor: Martha Terry

Street Medicine

Street Medicine Outreach and Awareness aims to serve homeless and rough sleeping individuals within the Pittsburgh area. Our mission is to provide this diverse community with multidisciplinary yet individualized care that focuses on promoting effective communication, mutual respect, and understanding with Pittsburgh’s health care community and university student body. Our organization is affiliated with the Street Medicine Institute Student Coalition (SMISC), dedicated to promoting inclusive, reality-based, person-centered care for our unsheltered homeless community members throughout the world.

President: Kat O'Connor
Vice President: Nicole Alindogan
Business Manager: Meghan Osekowski
Public Relations & Social Media Lead: Megan Stafford
Assistant PR & Social Media: Trisha Malhotra
Operations Director: Sam Ding
Onboarding Coordinator: Victoria Lee
Resource Manager: Bre Franklin
Volunteer Coordination Lead (OSN/2AC Liaison: Caitlin O'Brien
Assistant Volunteer Coordinator: Inika Vinod
SMISC Lead Liaison: Sohan Rao
SMISC Liaison in Training: Aishwarya Mukundan
Site Scoping Lead: Becky Mackenzie
Events Manager: Jay Singh
Research Coordinator: Helena Oft
Research Coordinators: Hadar Re'em

Faculty Advisor: Mary Hawk
Medical Director: Anna Marie White
Distinguished Honorary Advisor: Jim Withers

Professional Organizations and Alumni Associations

Alumni Association for Health Administration

Graduates of the health administration program are eligible for membership.

American Public Health Association (APHA)

Students are encouraged to join the American Public Health Association. Members receive their monthly journal, newsletters, and other pertinent information. APHA holds an annual meeting every fall, where students have the opportunity to present scholarly papers and take advantage of APHA’s placement service. During the meeting, Pitt Public Health also hosts an exhibit staffed in part by students. An application to join was included in your Orientation packet and you can also pick one up in the Office of Student Affairs, G009 Public Health. Annual student membership is $85.

Delta Omega

This national public health honorary society holds as its objectives the encouragement of scholarship and research among persons undertaking graduate study in public health. The Omicron Chapter at Pitt Public Health elects a number of alumni, faculty, and students to membership at its annual meeting each spring.

Pennsylvania Public Health Association (PPHA)

An affiliate of APHA, the Pennsylvania Public Health Association is a growing professional association that welcomes anyone with an interest in public health. PPHA also holds annual meetings featuring state and national public health leaders. Annual student membership is $20. Get an application at www.ppha.org.

University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association

The Pitt Alumni Association is your lifetime connection to Pitt and the voice of more than 303,000 living alumni worldwide. We invite and encourage Pitt graduates to stay connected to the University and each other through active membership in the Pitt Alumni Association.