For more than 20 years, Dr. Michelle Budwitz has worked in the U.S. and internationally in public health. Her positions have included epidemiologist, public health advisor, adjunct faculty, and research manager. Her specific interests include HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, TB and neglected tropical diseases, maternal and child health, childhood diseases, and health policy that impedes underserved populations access to health care.

Her interest in public health commenced during her time as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand. During her service, she worked at the grassroots levels in the areas of childhood immunizations, maternal and child health, nutrition, sanitation and HIV/AIDS. After three years in the Peace Corps, she extended her time in Thailand for three additional years as a public health and clinic manager for a Thai HIV and AIDS non-governmental organization. Upon returning to the U.S., Dr. Budwitz pursued a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans.

In her work, she was frequently asked to contribute to policy-making and to make policy-decisions. She realized that the work she did impacted how public health programs were implemented and how health care was delivered. A lifelong learner, she returned to school to study policy, and in 2017 she earned her PhD in Public Policy and Social Change with a specialized focus on women’s health policy from Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

For the past three years, Dr. Budwitz worked close to the equator in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia as a public health advisor to a small NGO, and in Papua New Guinea as the supervising epidemiologist for the Sexually Transmitted Infections, and HIV/AID program. During this time, she had also served as an adjunct faculty and subject matter expert for Southern New Hampshire University’s online undergraduate and graduate public health programs.

Her primary “outside-of-work” interest is anywhere that is not indoors. While not good at any one sport, she is proudly mediocre at many!