Classes

Class Grid

The class grid shows all classes I’ve taken over the course of my undergraduate career. Classes in blue are considered part of the major, and classes in green are supporting courses.

Full Class List

DATA ANALYSIS

MATH 232- Intro to Math Reasoning: This course focuses on mathematical theories like number theory, graph theory, game theory, and combinatorics. Although I don’t have a background in mathematical theory yet, game theory seems like it is a mathematical approach to considering conflict and resolution, which is a crucial and often difficult step in working towards resolving a public health issue with scarce resources.

MATH 262- Probability Theory: This class goes into more of the theory behind statistics. It will provide more of a solid background for me to understand how and why statistics works like it does. In turn, I will have a better understanding of how statistics can be applied to real-life questions.

MSCS 341- Algorithms for Decision Making: One of the main focuses of this class is machine learning, which is quickly becoming a highly-valued subject in any statistics-related career field. The class focuses on machine learning algorithms using real-world data. Again, I do not have a deep understanding of machine learning yet, but I do know that it has been considered the future of statistics.

STAT 302- Biostatistics: According to the description, this course “investigates issues in health-related settings using a quantitative, research-oriented perspective. Course material focuses on global and public health issues, study design, methods for analyzing health data, and communication of research findings.” This is a perfect combination of data analysis and public health for my major. It would also give me more experience with research and communicating findings.

STAT 316- Advanced Statistical Modeling: This course expands on the methods learned in Stats 272 to teach more methods of data analysis. It will provide more ways of handling data and creating analyses and will allow me to expand my statistics background.

EPIDEMIOLOGY & MEDICINE

BIO 231- Microbiology: This class offers a microscopic approach to disease outbreak and control. It examines bacteria and viruses, how they impact humans and immune responses, and how microbes affect the environment. In order to understand disease outbreak, it’s important to consider it from the microscopic level in addition to macroscopic.

SOAN 267- Medical Anthropology: The course description starts by asking, “How do people understand illness and healing? How does social inequality shape health?”. It also discusses diverse understandings of health and healing. Although it is easy to assume that everybody thinks of illness the same way and medicine as an inherent good, that is not always the case. When considering solutions to a medical crisis, it is important to be culturally sensitive, and that includes trying to understand how people may react to the method of aid.

ETHICAL DECISIONS: PEOPLE & COMMUNITIES

FAMST 232- Intro to Family Studies: As a class with a self-described interdisciplinary approach, it seems like a great way to examine public health issues through the lens of how it can affect a family. The class touches on socioeconomic challenges, one of the main problems at the root of many public health issues. It provides a personal view on how inequities can affect not just an afflicted individual, but their family as well, and why it is important to work to fix these.

ID 280- Comparative Public Health US/World: This class gave me exposure to a multitude of public health issues, presented by professionals who were experts in the field from the CDC, UN, and WHO. My final project consisted of using an existing data set to evaluate mental health in the workplace and identify what could be improved.

MSCS 296 – Just Data DUR: The DUR focuses on statistical approaches to current social justice issues. Because it is a directed undergraduate research class, it gives me the opportunity to use my statistics background to better understand any issue of my choosing, in the context of an in-depth and independent research project. It will culminate in a final project using data to promote awareness for an issue of my choosing.

PHIL 250- Biomedical Ethics: Although statistics is often used to help people make decisions about public health issues, it cannot be used to examine the ethics behind these decisions. This class would give me a different lens with which to view how people make ethical choices when facing scarce resources, fast-paced emergencies, and cultural differences. It is important to not just blindly follow data, but to consider the implications behind the choices as well.

SOAN 262- Global Interdependence: This class will offer an overview of the global nature of health, and how information and data fits into that global perspective. It dives into the information revolution and health inequities, especially in terms of low and high-income countries. This would allow me to learn more about how information impacts public health efforts all across the world.

OTHER SUPPORTING COURSES & SCHOOL EXPERIENCES

CHEM 247/248- Organic Chemistry I & II

CSCI 125- Computer Science for Science/Math

MATH 220- Elementary Linear Algebra

MATH 226- Multivariable Calculus

MATH 230- Differential Equations

MSCS 389- CIR Research

STAT 272- Statistical Modeling

CURI Research

Ole Innovation Scholars Program