Allison Casola is the new chair-elect of the Student Assembly of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Casola is a third-year student in the College of Public Health’s epidemiology doctoral program, as well as a research assistant and instructor in the Department of Epidemiology.

She begins her three-year appointment in November.

Founded in 1872, the APHA works to advance public health and support people in public health professions. Their Student Assembly is the largest student-led organization in the country and furthers the development of students in public health-related disciplines.

Casola has worked with the Student Assembly for four years. She began as a campus liaison while completing her master of public health at West Chester University. From there, she worked her way up to her current position as Co-Chair of the National Campus Liaison Committee for the country and member of the APHA Student Assembly executive board. Her focus as Chair-Elect is to strengthen the group’s various subcommittees as the group continues growing and reaching out to more students nationwide.

“I’m passionate about helping students network and grow into their own as public health professionals,” said Casola. “Working in public health, we come from so many different areas and avenues that our backgrounds and experiences really lend themselves to our passions and the actions we will take.”

Casola will first serve a year as chair-elect, then a year as chair, and finally a year as immediate past chair. This allows each chair to collaborate with his or her predecessor and successor. This November, Casola also presents her first oral abstract at the 2017 APHA conference. She will discuss her findings on how free condom distribution sites impact adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Her analysis of sexually-active males by grade level is included at a poster session during the conference.

These appointments come on the heels of her being awarded the 2017 Honorable Mention for the Student Assembly’s Chair Citation award. This honor recognizes significant leadership contributions from a student in public health or member of the board.

“It’s been an exciting year. A lot of things have come together,” said Casola.