Student organizations at the Mailman School of Public Health serve to support our community, enhance the academic experience, advocate for social change, and increase cultural awareness. Participating in a student organization can help you get the most out of your education. Learn more about our student groups and develop your leadership and team building skills by getting involved. Each January, leadership in the student organization officer teams transition. For questions on current officer position openings or joining a student organization, contact Christina Ferrari, Assistant Director of Student Life, at c.ferrari [at] columbia.edu.
Registering a New Student Organization
In order to become a recognized student organization at the Mailman School of Public Health and receive funding from the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) for programming, each group must adhere to the following conditions:
Read the Establishing a New Group informational packet.
Fill out the Student Organization Registration form on OrgSync.
Current Student Organizations
Healthcare Data Analytics | |
Humanitarian Organization for Migration and Emergencies | |
Mental Health Awareness Integration Forum | |
One Health Initiative | |
Perspectives on Aging | |
Queer Health Taskforce | |
Sexual and Reproductive Health Action Group | |
Society for African Health Initiatives | |
Students for Environmental Action | |
Students for a National Health Plan | |
Students for the Promotion of Integrative Medicine | |
Advocates for Asian American Health (AAAH)
Mission
The mission of Advocates for Asian American Health is:
Increasing awareness of Asian American health issues and disparities at the Mailman School of Public Health through speaker series, campus events, and study groups;
Addressing gaps in research concerning Asian American health, including identifying social and cultural determinants of health outcomes and barriers to health care access;
Facilitating dialogue and collaboration between the Mailman School of Public Health and Asian American communities and organizations;
Serving local Asian American communities through linguistically and culturally appropriate health screening events and education outreach.
Officer TEAM
President: Monica Ng
Vice President: Nida Farhound
Finance Chair: Ashley Han
Outreach Chair: Maryjane Bermudez
Communications Chair: Alexandra Passarelli
Social Chair: Casey Chun
Mission
This organization exists to promote the critical analysis of the criminal justice system, locally, nationally, and abroad, from a public health perspective. AJAH is meant to serve as an organizational base for students and faculty—coming from diverse professional backgrounds and united by a devotion to public health—utilizing their skills to stimulate innovative approaches to reduce health disparities and injustices among criminal justice-involved populations and protect the broader public from public health threats posed by the retributive justice system. The organization recognizes that each department within the Mailman School can contribute to and revive a vision for public health predicated on using science as a tool to expose multilevel determinants of inequity and using social justice advocacy to make a substantive difference in the lives of individuals and populations.
Officer Team
Co-President: Debduth Pijush
Co-President: Amita Joshua
Treasurer/Social Media Chair: Darwin Keung
Secretary/Advocacy Chair:hh2665 [at] cumc.columbia.edu ( )Megan Ludington
Community Engagement Coordinator: Jenny Payne
Bioethics Interest Group (BIG)
MISSION
The Bioethics Interest Group exists to provide students with a forum for the exchange of ideas and knowledge. It is meant to help students become more ethically conscious healthcare leaders. The activities of the Bioethics Interest Group will promote its mission via the following objectives:
Promote active consideration of ethical concerns in the medical field;
Foster recognition of the varying ethical impacts that public policy has on patients, minority populations, and any disadvantaged groups;
Encourage a safe and productive environment that allows for open dialogue and debate in regards to human rights, patient rights, the role of government, the role of business and future policy development;
Bring speakers to our campus that will serve as mentors on our paths to becoming healthcare leaders;
Promote co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that serve to establish means of communication between Mailman students, faculty, administrators, and alumni;
Host regular general body meetings to provide open forums for dialogue amongst the MSPH community;
Advocate for the needs and concerns expressed by BIG membership; and
Actively collaborate with other groups within and outside of Columbia to achieve our mission.
OFFICER TEAM
President: Currently Vacant
Vice-President: Currently Vacant
Treasurer: Currently Vacant
MISSION
Bloom exists to provide mentorship to girls and young teens in the Washington Heights community, specifically at Community Health Academy of the Heights (CHAH). To this end, Bloom:
Provides weekly day group lessons on health related topics including, but not limited to: puberty, sexual reproduction, and drugs and alcohol
Brings guest speakers and health professionals to reinforce day group lessons, and offer career exposure
Connects female mentors to the 7th and 8th grade girls of CHAH
Helps young women build confidence, inner strength, and a sense of self worth
Enables young women to make healthy lifestyle choices
OFFICER TEAM
President: Anusheh Kafi
Vice-President:mah2314 [at] cumc.columbia.edu ( )Victoria Paterson
Vice-President: Megan Nazareth
Curriculum Coordinator: Julia Herskovic
Treasurer: Daisy Duerte
Logitistics Coordinator: Sahithi Akasapu
Mission
The Black and Latinx Student Caucus exists to promote professional, sociocultural, and academic enrichment that draws upon the experiences of Black and Latinx communities, actively addressing social, cultural, and political factors that synergistically impact health in historically underrepresented groups.
Our three keys goals are:
Awareness of Black and Latinx Health Issues: The Black and Latinx Student Caucus seeks to facilitate dialogue regarding pertinent health issues in our communities, in an effort to inspire action.
Professional Networking and Enrichment: The Black and Latinx Student Caucus seeks to act as an avenue to facilitate dialogue between students, their peers, and faculty.
Community Engagement: The Black and Latinx Student Caucus seeks to facilitate dialogue with local community organizers and actively engage members of BLSC in community service events.
Officer TeAM
President: Diana Ballesteros Gonzalez
President: Selena Gonzalez
Chair of Internal Affairs: Joaquin Effertz
Chair of External Affairs: Alvin Gordian-Arroyo
Chair of Community Relations: Danait Yemane
Mission
Career China serves all students at the Mailman School that are interested in developing their careers within Chinese healthcare systems, serving as a platform for Mailman School students and alumni to connect with established healthcare professionals in the industry.
Officer TEAM
President: Shanshan Song
Treasurer: Yuqi Tu
Secretary: Zenghui Xue
Columbia Emerging Women's Leadership is an organization dedicated to providing space for emerging women leaders (defined as all those who identify as women and who are at a moment of entering or re-entering the public health workforce following the pursuit of a Master's or Doctoral degree) to explore issues relating to the specific needs of women in the public health workforce as well as to providing targeted, women-centered leadership development and skill-building opportunities.
OFFICER TEAM
President: Natasha Dhingra
Secretary: Zareen Thakor
Vice President of External Affairs: Tatini Mak-Sarkar
Vice President of Finance: Prav Gangidi
Columbia Mailman Consulting Club (CMCC)
Mission
The mission of the Columbia Mailman Consulting Club (CMCC) is to provide opportunities for MPH candidates at the Mailman School to learn about the field of management consulting; to provide its members resources for case interview practice in a collaborative and supportive setting; and to offer helpful guidance about the application and interview process. We aim to engage with recruiters, alumni, and members of similar clubs at other graduate institutions to educate and prepare students for careers in consulting.
Officer TEAM
President: Dana Tran Le
VP Of Treasury: Kunal Patrawala
VP of Communication: Olivia Floto
VP of External Affairs: Anurati Mehta
VP of Events: Melissa Stewart
Website: https://www.facebook.com/ColumbiaMailmanConsultingClub
Complex Systems Approaches to Population Health (CSAPH)
Mission
The mission of Complex Systems Approaches in Population Health (CSAPH) is to promote interdisciplinary research and foster community around systems science approaches in public health among graduate students at the Mailman School of Public Health and across Columbia University. We aim to accomplish this by advocating systems thinking, raising awareness of available resources, promoting application of those resources, and providing support for students interested in using system simulation approaches in their research.
Officer TEAM
President: cgd2137 [at] cumc.columbia.edu ( )Currently Vacant
Vice President: Currently Vacant
Treasurer: Currently Vacant
Advocacy and Inquiry Officer: Currently Vacant
Mission
Future Heathcare Leaders exists to provide students with a forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas to help them become more effective healthcare leaders.
FHL’s events and activities promote its mission via the following five objectives:
Bring speakers to our campus that will be role-models and will serve as mentors on our paths to becoming leaders.
Promote co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that serve to establish means of communication between Mailman School students, faculty, administrators, and alumni.
Host regular General Body meetings to provide open forums for dialogue among students, faculty, and the administration,
Advocate for the needs and concerns expressed by FHL membership.
Actively collaborate with other groups within and outside of Columbia University to achieve our mission.
Officer TEAM
President: Brian Ruiz
VP of Internal Affairs: Natalie Bishop
VP of External Affairs: Nandita Kotwani
Treasurer: Brooke Hogan
Academic Chair: Sun-Ming "Jessica" Pan
Public Relations Chair: Chirag Shah
Mission
The mission of the Food Policy and Obesity Prevention student group is to provide comprehensive extracurricular opportunities for the Columbia University Medical Center community around food access, policy, and advocacy. The group accomplishes this through educational opportunities, volunteerism, and advocacy within the student body, the community and nationally.
Officer TEAM
President: Olivia Shabash
VP of External Relations: Brittany Smith
VP of Student Engagement: Ben Lane
VP of Communications: Nicole Evancha
VP Of Operations/Treasurer: Nana Ekua Adenu-Mensah
Email: cufpop [at] gmail.com
Website: http://columbiafpop.wordpress.com
Greater Community Reach (GCR)
Mission
GCR’s mission is to connect Mailman School students with Northern Manhattan and the city beyond in order to create a model for community engagement. GCR promotes an urbanist perspective in public health by integrating concepts of space, place, and cultural history into patterns of health and disease in the community.
Officer TEAM
President: Maureen Saylor
Treasurer/Secretary: Sumayya Younus
Internal Community Coordinator: Nirajana Tripathy
External Community Coordinator: Leora Steinberg
Healthcare Data Analytics (HDA)
MISSION
Healthcare Data Analytic's mission is to elevate everyone's analytical skill set so as to make more data-driven healthcare decisions in our future careers. All experience levels are welcome!
OFFICER TEAM
Co-President: Sarah Vitotoe
Co-President: Shirley Wang
Treasurer/Secretary: Amadeia Rector
Vice President of Internal Communication: Maria Sermania
Vice President of External Communication: Helen Latimer
Vice President of Events and Outreach: Bryce Wong
Humanitarian Organization for Migration and Emergencies (HOME)
Mission
The mission of HOME is to provide opportunities for students to gain skills and experience that will improve the health and well-being of conflict-affected populations. Through events and experiential learning opportunities, HOME will also raise awareness across the Columbia University community of complex emergencies around the world.
Officer TEAM
President: Carlie Skellington
Vice President: Elpida Velmahos
Treasurer: Jason Melo
Secretary: Talar Habeshian
Outreach Chair: Rebecca Liron
Social Chair: Susan Stringham
MISSION
MAIF’s vision is to promote awareness of mental health and reduce stigma against people living with mental illness,to foster an understanding of the variability and diversity of mental illness and care at multiple levels (ranging from our neighborhood to the global), and to encourage discussions to reduce the burden of mental illness globally.
OFFICER TEAM
President: Currently Vacant
Treasurer: Currently Vacant
Secretary: Currently Vacant
Media Chair:nk2698 [at] cumc.columbia.edu ( )Currently Vacant
One Health Initiative (OHI)
Mission
"One Health" is the collaboration of multiple disciplines - locally, nationally, and globally - working at the interface of human, animal and environmental health. The One Health Initiative seeks to use these approaches to solving today's global and environmental health challenges.
Officer TEAM
President: Melody Wu
Vice President: Morgan Manger
Treasurer: zjt2103 [at] cumc.columbia.edu ( )Allison Bailey
Secretary: Matthew Perrota
Event Coordinator: Yaa Asantewaa Kafui Klu
Mission
The objectives of the group are to sponsor events that explore key issues regarding aging and health from multiple perspectives, provide an environment in which students can explore ideas about how public health can best address the challenge of an aging society, and raise awareness among the Mailman School of Public Health and the larger university environment about the implications of aging and health for a variety of subjects
Officer Team
President: Leora Steinberg
Vice President/ Secretary: Melanie Baez
Mission
QHTF is dedicated to promoting the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex people. By providing opportunities for learning, activism, and skills building at the Mailman School of Public Health, we work toward created improved visibility of queer health issues and improved access to care. We believe that competent, informed care for LGBTQQI people is integral to public health.
Officer TEAM
Co-President: Olivia Ahn
Co-President: Ryan Gentil
Outreach Chair: Thomas Carpino
Programming Chair: Tess Solomon
Programming Chair: Beckett Flynn
Treasurer: Helen Latimer
To bridge the gap between African-based research at the Mailman School and student body awareness (present African research to students)
To dismantle the notion of a homogenous Africa
To host African social & cultural events
To create a forum where current African health issues are discussed
To demonstrate African culture through networking events
To build a broader network of African interest at the Mailman School, Columbia University, and the community at large
To invest in the professional development of members
Officer Team
President: Currently Vacant
Vice President/Treasurer: Currently Vacant
Secretary/Community Liaison: Currently Vacant
Mission
SEA is a student group that promotes environmental awareness at the medical campus, is the voice of students for environmental concerns, and encourages everyone to engage in sustainable practices.
Officer TEAM
President: Peggy Hsieh
VP of Communications: Stella Keck
VP of Finance: Erin Kawazu
VP of Outreach: Casey Chun
Mission
SHAG is dedicated to reproductive and sexual rights for all people. By providing opportunities for learning, activism, and skills building at the Mailman School of Public Health, we work toward creating universal access to reproductive and sexual health information and services. We believe that sexual and reproductive health are integral to public health.
Officer TEAM
President: hp2443 [at] cumc.columbia.edu ( )Michelle Martinez
Vice President: Rachel Passmore
Treasurer: Amy Rooker
Vice President: Nina Johal
Secretary: Christina Keenan
Mission
Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP) advocates for universal, comprehensive, single-payer health insurance. SNaHP believes that access to high-quality health care is a right of all people and should be provided equitably as a public good rather than bought and sold as a commodity. Equitable accessibility requires, in the view of SNaHP, the removal of barriers to adequate health care currently faced by the uninsured, the poor, minority populations, and immigrants, both documented and undocumented, as well as those who have health insurance. SNaHP views this campaign as part of the campaign for social justice and equal access to healthcare as a human right in the United States. SNaHP is aligned with the goals of Physicians for a National Healthcare Program (PNHP), a national organization of 18,000 physician members. PNHP accepts no funding from pharmaceutical companies or other for-profit entities. PNHP organizes physicians, medical students, health workers, and the public in support of this program and promotes discussion of health policy in the United States through conferences, lectures, articles, and other methods. All are welcome!
Officer Team
President: Linda Nguyen
Vice President of Communications: Carthi Mannikarottu
Vice President of Events & Outreach: Cynthia Chen
Vice President of Finance: Adria Zern
Students for the Promotion of Integrative Medicine (SPIM)
Mission
This organization exists to provide a forum for health science professionals to discuss the future development of integrative medicine through the public health lens. Given the interdisciplinary nature of integrative medicine—which inherently includes interplay between traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine—our group actively encourages alliance of health care professional/practitioners across traditions and institutions.
Officer Team
President: Christopher Crowe
Vice President of Operations: Mara Getz
Vice President of Communications: Katherine Baker
Vice President of Community/Practitioner Relations: Ariana Larocca
Treasurer: Constance Lopez
Women 4 Women (W4W)
MISSION
Women 4 Women is an interserctional health equity group that aims to improve women’s health by empowering womxn and girls in healthcare, education, politics, and relationships. Using an intersectional framework, we provide a space on campus where students can address the pursuit of equality among womxn by working to dismantle gender-based inequities.
OFFICER TEAM
President: Katie Stack
Vice President: Garrison Daly
Director of Programming: Fiona Gambanga
Director of Administration: Catherine Brooks
Director of Communications: Harmony Arcilla
Director of Community Engagement: Chrissy Keenan
