PhD student Chanhee Kim receives APHA awards

Kate Cartwright, APHA Health Administration Section recognition committee chair, PhD student Chanhee Kim, Associate Professor Sripriya Rajamani and Takiyah R. Wilson, APHA Health Administration Section chair.

PhD student Chanhee Kim was the recipient of the Health Administration Section Student Achievement Award at the 2024 American Public Health Association (APHA) Conference in October. The award is given to the student whose abstract receives the highest score in the health administration section and recognizes outstanding contributions in public health administration.

Kim’s abstract, Leaderships of Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) in State Public Health Agencies, analyzed DMI project leaders within state public health agencies to learn more about their educational backgrounds, areas of expertise and job titles. The analysis showed that most leaders had a public health background, with a significant number also specializing in IT. “Interestingly, their titles often reflected broader informatics or data-related roles rather than explicitly mentioning DMI, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of this initiative,” Kim said.

Her abstract reveals the diverse backgrounds of leaders in DMI and may open the door to understanding varying DMI outcomes across states. “I believe this work will be a meaningful contribution to understanding how public health informatics leadership shapes the success of data modernization efforts in the future,” Kim said.

This fall, Kim began the School of Nursing’s Population Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) Certificate, a 12 credit post-baccalaureate certificate program that prepares students to harness the power of data to improve public health and health equity. The program is offered in partnership by the School of Nursing, School of Public Health and Institute for Health Informatics.

Kim began her career as a nurse at Korea University Anam Hospital in South Korea. She then completed a master’s degree in public health and served as an infectious disease epidemiologist during the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased her interest in public health data systems. The PHIT certificate provides critical informatics skills and grows her expertise in public health data management.

“I am confident that this program will provide me with the tools and insights necessary to contribute meaningfully to the field of infectious disease response and public health as a whole,” Kim said.

Kim also received the Graduate Student Early Bird Registration Scholarship to attend the APHA conference. Kim appreciated the opportunity to learn more about artificial intelligence (AI) in public health.

“The entire world seems to be discussing AI, and this is no exception in public health. The conference not only broadened my understanding of the role of AI but also inspired me to incorporate AI into my own research,” Kim said.

As she continues in her PhD studies and career, Kim hopes to continue working with state and federal government systems to help organizations better manage public health data, perhaps even moving to international organizations.

“It’s vital to support developing nations in building their own effective response systems and data management infrastructures,” Kim said. “By doing so, we can collectively strengthen global public health and ensure a safer future for all.”

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Learn more about the PhD in Nursing program.