Melissa An graduated from Ladue High School in St. Louis, Missouri. At Ladue, Melissa was a captain of the speech and debate team and competed nationally in Original Oratory. She was a founding student for a service group focused on underserved youth and served as photo editor of the school newspaper. Melissa was also a member of the varsity tennis team and various honors orchestras. At Dartmouth, Melissa majors in Neuroscience and minors in the Anthropology of Global Health. She has served as Campaigns Coordinator and Co-President of Dartmouth’s chapter of GlobeMed, a network that works towards alleviating global health disparities. She

has also served as Co-President of China Care, a foundation that aims to provide medical care to orphaned children in China. In addition, Melissa conducts research at the Dartmouth Psychiatry Research Center. After graduation, Melissa plans to attend medical school and incorporate global health work into her medical career. Melissa was funded in honor of the late John K. Springer ’53 who served on the Rockefeller Center Board of Visitors for a summer 2013 internship. Executive Summary from Melissa’s final report: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the nation’s premier public health agency. The CDC is one of the major federal agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services and its main goal is to protect the health and safety of not only the American public, but also people all around the world. The National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic

Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) specifically is committed to preventing disease, disability, and death caused by infectious diseases. NCEZID is comprised of seven divisions, which include foodborne and waterborne diseases, vectorborne diseases, global migration and quarantine, and healthcare quality promotion. Some examples of the center’s work include preparing for potential bioterrorist attacks, responding to

“I am extremely grateful to the

Rockefeller Center and John K. Springer

’53 for funding this internship. Their

funding has truly made it possible for

me to have the rewarding and

worthwhile experience that I had.”

[JOHN K. SPRINGER ‘53 PUBLIC POLICY INTERN PROFILE]

outbreaks in the U.S. and around the world, and tackling the issues of healthcare-associated infections. As an intern, I helped develop and analyze many different communication products for the center, specifically directed towards the public, policymakers, and the media. I wrote online formatted articles that provided information and prevention messages to the public on diseases such as listeria and West Nile virus. In addition, I wrote press releases to inform the media and the public of NCEZID’s current activities. I assisted in preparing talking points to be used for communication with policymakers, partners, and the media. On a daily basis, I also distributed news stories to the center that were relevant to NCEZID’s work. Other work included assisting with the promotion of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, working on social media efforts, and helping communicate the center’s activities to senior leadership. These experiences have helped me gain valuable new perspectives for my future professional goals. Simply being at this governmental agency has exposed me to so many different careers within public health. My work at the CDC has also taught me the importance and value of communication. So much science and research goes on within healthcare, but bringing this to the public and to policymakers is critical for positive change within the field. This experience will undoubtedly influence my future work both as a physician when interacting with patients as well as in the public and global health work I hope to do.

Melissa An ’14 at the main CDC Campus in Atlanta

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