Current PhD Students

Kenzie is a sexual health educator with Boise State University’s Wellness Services. She received a Master of Public Health degree with an emphasis in Prevention and Intervention Programming from Boise State University in 2023. Kenzie is currently teaching a well-being course (HLTH 397) and has taught several semesters of Research Methods in Health (HLTH 382) for the School of Public and Population Health. She is passionate about course design, inclusive pedagogy, and active engagement techniques to maximize learning. Kenzie hopes to gain a professorship after her PhD to continue teaching and conduct research in her interest areas of sexual health, program evaluation, and community as a protective factor. Outside of work, Kenzie enjoys mountain biking the endless trails her hometown has to offer and being active with her energetic border collie, Luna.

KT is a Quality Assurance Team Lead at Genomenon for the germline variant curation team and is on the part time track for this wonderful PhD program. She is a genetic counselor with clinical experience here in Idaho at the St. Luke’s Genetics and Metabolic Clinic in Boise. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Oregon University, a master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of Minnesota, and a graduate certificate from the University of British Columbia for Variant Interpretation and Genomic Counselling. She enjoys genomic education for interdisciplinary teams and the public. She specializes in rare disease and more common chronic conditions such as cardiac and kidney disease. Her aim is to develop expertise to aid in bridging the gap between her interests in the emerging field of public health genomics.

Ashley Havlicak is a Clinical Assistant Professor with the School of Public and Population Health and serves as the Community Health Promotion Emphasis Coordinator. In addition to her role as a Clinical Assistant Professor and PhD student, she is the Managing Editor for the Journal of School Health. She is passionate about health promotion, and as an Idaho native, enjoys the opportunity to support the well-being of all Idahoans.

I am a lifelong Idahoan and have worked in the healthcare and public health field for 20+ years. I graduated with my BA in Therapeutic Recreation from EWU and my MPH from ISU. My experience has been in the trenches working with communities as well as from the ridge orchestrating division level strategic planning and program operations for local and state public health. My colleagues would say I am known for my ambitiousness, tenacity, strong moral values, and connectedness to my work. My PhD interests include health policy, workforce, and public health effort implementation.

Sarah is the Deputy Division Administrator over programs in the Public Health Division at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Previously, she was the Director of the Malheur County Health Department, a Certified Prevention Specialist, and End of Life Doula. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of Idaho and a master’s degree and graduate certificate from BSU’s Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning program. She is an advocate for small communities, volunteerism, inclusive discourse, and transformational leadership. In both her academic and professional work, Sarah is focused on the freedom to live a healthy life for all people in Idaho.

I am a PhD student in the program with an interest in maternal and child health and environmental epidemiology. I did my undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and received my MS degree from the University at Albany. Before starting this program, I worked as a research coordinator in the Center for Excellence in Environmental Health and Safety at Boise State. My spare time is spent raising my two kids, hiking every chance I get, visiting local breweries, and honing my snowboarding skills.

Heather is a student in the PhD program with a focus on maternal and child health and the intersection of law enforcement and public health. She received her MPH from Boise State, with an emphasis in health leadership and management as well as data-driven decision-making. She works as a research assistant for Communities for Youth, a local youth mental health initiative. Additionally, she works at the Garden City Police Department as a records technician and assistant victim-witness coordinator. Heather loves to travel, exercise, and spend time with her friends and family.

Before joining the PhD program, Allen was a serial entrepreneur having started companies in digital health and fitness. Prior to this he oversaw the growth of a pediatric software company based in Baltimore. After graduate school, we worked for the Obama administration writing healthcare policy, mainly focused on launching the EHR incentive program and advancing clinical quality measures. He has held several consulting roles for patient advocacy nonprofits and public health agencies. He enjoys spending time outdoors and with his family. He received his MPH and MBA from Johns Hopkins University and his BS from the College of Idaho.

Marjorie realized her love of public health while serving in the Peace Corps in the West African county of Benin. She completed a dual master’s degree program in Social Work and Public Health at the University of Washington where she fell in love with the field of harm reduction. In 2019, she co-founded Idaho Harm Reduction Project, a drug user health program that serves the state with substance use and overdose prevention services. She began her PhD in Public Health Leadership in 2023. Currently, she is a veterinary social worker at WestVet Animal Hospital in Boise.

Robin was drawn to the PPHL program after working in the fitness and medical weight-loss industry for over twenty-five years. Having published several books on the subject of body image, disordered eating, and eating disorders, Robin recognized a need to further her education and to expand her knowledge in the area of public health. Robin is a BSU alumni, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree (2000) and a Master of Science degree in Kinesiology (2024). She is currently teaching a health and wellness course (KINES 141) at BSU and is passionate about college student mental health.