When Taylor Brandt ’24 came to Muhlenberg, she was interested in health but thought that meant she needed to be pre-med. Through coursework, she discovered public health, a discipline that’s more focused on population-level preventive care. Through working with Associate Professor of Public Health Kathleen Bachynski, Brandt found she was particularly interested in health equity.
“Her classes were the first time that I saw how public health could be used to address structural barriers,” says Brandt, who’s now a Master of Public Health student at Temple University. “She honestly taught me the foundation of everything that I know now. She pushed me to think critically about who gets care or access to care, who doesn’t, and why, and that perspective is exactly what I bring to my work now.”
The courses at Muhlenberg taught me about public health in a lot of different aspects. It wasn’t just the fundamentals — it dove deeper. Because I had that well-rounded education, it allowed me to figure out what areas I’m most interested in and what I want to pursue.
This spring, Brandt began a year-long research internship with Fox Chase Cancer Center. She is assisting with a study related to cervical cancer, a disease that tends to be more prevalent and deadly in marginalized populations due to barriers to care. Brandt is assisting with outreach and recruitment in a study that explores whether text messaging with patients who are scheduled for a colposcopy (a procedure used to examine abnormal cells on the cervix) increases the likelihood that they’ll make it to the appointment.
Brandt, who is focusing on epidemiology in her master’s program, is interested in a research-centric position in the future. That’s why she decided to pursue a master’s degree, and Muhlenberg set her up for success.
“The courses at Muhlenberg taught me about public health in a lot of different aspects. It wasn’t just the fundamentals — it dove deeper,” says Brandt, who also minored in environmental science. “Because I had that well-rounded education, it allowed me to figure out what areas I’m most interested in and what I want to pursue.”
