Program Overview
The Minority Mentorship Program is designed to provide minority college students, medical students, nurses, and other professionals interested in occupational safety and health an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the fields of occupational hygiene, injury prevention, occupational health nursing, or occupational medicine. Mentees gain experience from a customized, 40-hour-total mentorship program by working closely with a Harvard School of Public Health faculty member specializing in their area of interest. Additional opportunities include reading the latest research developments in occupational health and safety, attending research seminars in the field, and sitting in on courses such as ergonomics, occupational safety, epidemiology, and/or biostatistics at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health.
Click here to download the 2017-2018 Minority Mentorship Brochure
Qualified individuals are minority individuals interested in occupational safety and health. Please note that minorities are defined by the EEOC as American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black, and Hispanic individuals. Applicants must hold United States citizenship.
Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis. If interested, please send your resume and a letter of interest specifying your current area of expertise and the type of knowledge and skills you hope to gain through this mentorship program to Ann Backus, abackus@hsph.harvard.edu
Past Mentees
Sahil Narkhede
Boston College, Class of 2015
Mentor: TBD
Project: Combine Interests in Medicine and Economics through Occupational Medicine
May 2013-
Vivian Zeng
Brandeis University, Class of December 2013
Mentor: TBD
Project: Complete Literature Review Comparing Occupational Exposure and Occupational Epidemiology to Assess Career Interest
April 2013-
Trevon Mayers
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Class of 2012
Currently employed as a Clinical Trials Research Assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Mentor: Ann Backus, MS; Additional Mentor TBD
Project: Occupational Medicine Grand Rounds Videos Evaluation; ERC Seminar Series Attendance; Community Outreach; Additional Work TBD
April 2013-
Christina Mark
Northeastern University, Class of 2016
Mentor: Jack Dennerlein, SMME, PhD
Project: Attend EH Course with Dr. Dennerlein in Spring 2014 and Other TBD Work
April 2013-
Julie Yiu
Brandeis University, Class of 2013
Mentors: Ann Backus, MS, and Madeleine Hall-Arber, PhD (MIT)
Project: Literature Search for the Fishing Partnership RESCUE Project
May 2012-
Program Alumni
Kaylin Mai
University of Massachusetts, Boston, Class of December 2013
Mentors: Jack Dennerlein, SMME, PhD; Emily Sparer, MS; Alberto Caban-Martinez, DO, PhD, MPH, CPH
Project: Research Assistant on Two Occupational Injury Prevention Research Projects
July 2013-September 2013
Michael Richardson
University of Massachusetts Medical School, Class of 2014
Mentor: Stefanos N. Kales, MD, MPH
Project: Occupational Medicine Observer (Elective), Cambridge Health Alliance
May 2012-June 2012
Adrianna Boulin
Emmanuel College, Class of 2014
Mentor: Carolyn Langer, JD, MD
Project: Career Path for Public Health and Law
September 2010-May 2013
Carla Decotelli, MD, MSc
Currently employed at Vale Corporation in Brazil
Mentor: Eileen McNeely, RNP, MS, PhD
Project: Completion of EH 523: Work, Health, and Productivity
January 2011
Rumya Raghunath
Graduated from the College of the Holy Cross; currently working on an MPH from Columbia University
Mentor: Ann Backus, MS
Project: Outreach at Cambridge Science Festivals, Seminar Attendance, and Spanish Translation
September 2010-May 2012
Beenish Mehboob, MBBS, MS, MPH
Graduated with an MS from Brandeis University; went on to complete an MPH from Harvard School of Public Health
Mentors:Jack Dennerlein, SMME, PhD; Robert Herrick, MS, SD, CIH
Project: Ergonomics Course and Practice of Occupational Health
September 2010-September 2011
Kimberly Morpeau
Simmons College Nursing Program, Class of 2012; currently employed as a nurse in the Boston area
Mentor: Robert Herrick, MS, SD, CIH
Project: Completion of EH 262: Introduction to the Work Environment; Seminar Attendance
September 2010-December 2010
Xing Yang, MD
Meharry Medical College, Class of 2012; currently at UCSF
Mentor: Stefanos N. Kales, MD, MPH
Project: Month-Long Elective Rotation in Occupational Medicine
June 2010