Finding Common Ground: Before You Go to the 2025 SOPHE Advocacy Summit

Brittney Chang is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Florida, majoring in psychology with a concentration in cognitive behavioral neuroscience and minoring in societal health disparities. Passionate about addressing inequities in public health, her research focuses on the intersection of health disparities and neuroscience, particularly within the Asian American population. Brittney is involved in two key research projects: with Dr. Carolyn Tucker on the Community-Partnered Cancer Disparities Research Collaborative and with Dr. Brian Hoh’s cerebrovascular lab, where she investigates aneurysm healing processes. Her work aims to inform public health policy through data-driven research and community-based advocacy.

Keely Rees, PhD, MCHES, has joined the College of Public Health (CPH) at the University of Kentucky as the new Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Advancement. With a strong passion for professional development and mentorship, she is dedicated to creating an environment where faculty and staff feel supported. In this role, Dr. Rees will focus on strengthening professional growth opportunities through mentorship, leadership training, and strategic initiatives that enhance career advancement. By working closely with the Dean’s team, she aims to align policies and resources that foster a collaborative workplace while ensuring faculty and staff have the tools needed to excel.

Before joining CPH, Dr. Rees spent over two decades at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where she led programs in public health education and healthcare administration. She also taught at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the University of New Mexico. She earned her Ph.D. in Community Health Education from the University of New Mexico, an M.S. in Exercise Physiology and Health Behavior from South Dakota State University, and a B.A. in Health Education from the University of Minnesota Morris.

Abigail is a Master's candidate at Texas A&M University with a concentration in Health Policy and Management. She participated in the 2024 SOPHE Advocacy Summit. This experience inspired her to focus on academic and career opportunities with organizations in the DC area. This summer, she was selected as one of this year's Catherine Hinman Memorial Fellows at Silverado Policy Accelerator in Washington, DC. Currently, she is working as a policy intern for the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative. This organization aims to address the housing-based causes of lead poisoning, asthma, injury, and energy inefficiency. She hopes to establish a career in health policy and help create effective, research-based policy solutions to address the public health challenges facing the country today!

Maricela is the Deputy CEO at the Society for Public Health Education, She is responsible for operationalizing our strategic priorities and oversee several functional areas, including membership, professional development, chapter relations, and resource development. Maricela is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and is a certified association executive (CAE). She is a Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) alumna and serves as a mentor for the ASAE ReadyMe Program. She earned a Master of Healthcare Administration and a Master of Science in Biology from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. Maricela volunteers on National PTA's bylaws committee. She lives in Woodbridge, Virginia with her husband of 25 years, three children, Richard, Salma and Ava and their dog, Rudy.