The Harvard DrPH

Steven T. Lopez

Steven LopezSteven T. Lopez, ’26
From: Washington, DC
Degrees Held: MPP/MPH, University of California, Berkeley
Email: steven_lopez@hsph.harvard.edu 

Steven is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) student at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and has focused his career on advancing health equity and shaping policy at the national, state, and local levels to improve the health and well-being of historically underserved communities. Steven spent over two years as an appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration as a Counselor to Secretary Xavier Becerra at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, Steven was part of Secretary Becerra’s senior leadership team, advising the Secretary on a range of policy issues and interfacing with other senior leaders across the federal government. Steven’s portfolio included the Health Research and Services Administration (HRSA), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), which includes the Office of the Surgeon General, Indian Health Service (IHS), and Equity, along with department-wide efforts focused on maternal health, food security, LGBTQI+ issues, and health workforce.

Steven led the department’s efforts related to the development and implementation of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis; oversaw the department’s role in the planning and execution of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and related National Strategy; and spearheaded the development of the HHS Health Equity Roadmap. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Steven spent eight years leading health policy and advocacy at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza), the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization.

Originally from Exeter, CA, a small town in the state’s Central Valley region, Steven holds a BA from Stanford University and a dual Master’s in Public Policy and Public Health from UC Berkeley. Steven is a proud alum of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Public Policy Fellowship. Steven looks forward to leveraging his previous professional experience coupled with his DrPH training to have an even greater impact on improving the lives of historically underserved communities.