Earlier in 2025, Master of Public Health student Georgia Bromley ’25, G’26 told Rochelle Frounfelker, assistant professor in the department of population health, that she wanted to improve her public speaking skills. Little did she know that she would soon be stepping onto one of the largest stages within public health.
Frounfelker facilitated an opportunity for Bromley to present on one of their research projects in November at the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo, the most significant conference within public health in the United States. This annual event brings together 12,000 professionals and partners from across disciplines to share knowledge, advancements and policy suggestions.
Reflecting on the opportunity, Bromley shared, “Despite immediately thinking I couldn’t do it, I said yes. I presented research on substance use in Bhutanese youth in front of a room of other researchers and public health professionals who are passionate about substance use in varied populations. Professor Frounfelker and a few other members of our research team were in the audience supporting me.”
“Overall, the presentation went very well, and was well-received from the audience,” she continued. “This experience was meaningful for me in two ways. It was awesome to share our research findings with the public health community, and I felt very accomplished and proud of how far I’ve come in my public speaking skills.”
For the past year, Bromley has contributed to Frounfelker’s community-based participatory research projects. In 2025, Frounfelker received a grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to support a research study with a Bhutanese American community in central Pennsylvania. She studies how the mental health of older individuals has been affected by their life experience as a refugee, in partnership with the Bhutanese Community in Harrisburg. The project’s overall goal is to use the data to inform the design of culturally appropriate mental health services.
Under Frounfelker’s mentorship, Bromley has gained experience in research by conducting literature reviews, analyzing qualitative data, writing manuscripts and performing quantitative analysis to evaluate program effectiveness.
“Overall, this research aims to lift up the voices of the Bhutanese community, understand their experiences and use this information to develop data-informed and culturally-relevant interventions that address community-identified needs,” Bromley said.
“Georgia has been an exceptional student both in and outside of the classroom,” said Frounfelker. “I was happy that she was able to showcase our work and collaboration with the Bhutanese community in such a meaningful way. She has invested a great deal of time and effort to learn about the community and partner with them on this research.”
November’s APHA conference featured a strong showing from the College of Health faculty and students, representing the breadth of research within the college. In addition to Bromley, COH presenters included Frounfelker; Mohamed Jibriel, assistant professor, department of community and global health; Joseph Pacheco, assistant professor, department of community and global health; Jason Hale, research scientist; and Fathima Wakeel, associate professor, department of population health.
A number of COH faculty and students also presented posters, including Russell McIntire, associate professor, department of population health; and Jong Cheol Shin, assistant professor, department of population health, as well as doctoral students: Ph.D. candidate EJ Rovella, fourth year student Laura Porto, and second year students Sandra Boakye, Rejoice Obiora and Dasy Resendiz.
Bromley, who received her undergraduate degree from the COH as part of its second cohort of students, shared that the tight-knit community of the COH sets it apart from other institutions. She made connections with almost every student and professor, creating a sense of belonging.
“It is very clear that the COH cares about the success of every student,” she said. “I was able to take advantage of many of the experiential learning opportunities the college has to offer, including research, studying abroad and internships. I believe if you make your goals known, the College of Health will give you the tools to help achieve it.”
The opportunity to pursue additional experiential learning opportunities and explore her interests motivated her to continue as a COH graduate student. In addition to conducting research, Bromley is completing an applied practice experience where she is partnering with a digital health company and exploring how their care coordination technology can address women’s health needs.
Experiential learning is a hallmark of a College of Health education. Through opportunities outside the classroom, such as internships, global experiences and research, COH students prepare for meaningful careers that will shape the future of health. Even as undergraduates, students are empowered to engage in high-impact research that advances public health and drives meaningful change.
After graduation this spring, Bromley will be seeking career opportunities in research, digital health or healthcare consulting.
“Ultimately, I hope to develop and implement innovative digital technologies into life science and healthcare settings with the overall goal of improving access to care and quality of care in the U.S.,” she said.
