In Conversation With…Abby Rocca, Huo Scholar at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health

As a teenager, a chance read of a true story about the origins of viral hemorrhagic fevers inspired Abby’s future studies.  “I thought of becoming a doctor, but during my junior year in high school I had to prepare a book report for Biology and read ‘The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story,’ by Richard Preston and I was fascinated by the disease investigation aspect.”   This prompted her to study Public Health in undergrad at Tulane University: “They have a strong programme, and it provided me with a good foundation in public health. I also fell in love with New Orleans when I toured the city. My time there deepened my appreciation for public health because it’s a city that had a lot of health disparity.  My professors volunteered in the community, so I witnessed the impact of community work firsthand.”

After her undergraduate studies, Abby worked at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston in the fundraising department for a year. She enjoyed connecting with patients and hearing their stories but missed the public health aspects of the job. She applied for a master’s in public health, with a preference for Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health: “The more I read about Mailman, the more I wanted to attend. It’s an elite programme with an emphasis on a well-rounded education on the public health sector. They also offer specific certificates and concentrations. I was accepted and received the news about the Huo scholarship which made it the easiest decision ever.”

Abby is one of five Huo Scholars in her cohort who have received full scholarships for the Master’s program, which allows them to pursue careers in public health sector free of debt. She is now in her second year focusing her studies on Comparative Effectiveness and Outcomes Research: “My courses focus health data analysis and are mostly housed within the Epidemiology and Health Policy and Management departments at Mailman.” On her thesis, she notes: “I am researching healthcare associated infections. My thesis analyses patients’ perceptions of how clean their rooms are and if that impacts on how well the hospital performs and their C. diff rates (C. diff is an infection that commonly affects people who have recently been treated with antibiotics).”

Huo Scholars receive a stipend for the Summer practicum, allowing them to pursue internships which are unpaid. Abby spent Summer 2024 working at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: “Their academic summer internship programme was perfectly aligned with all my interests but entirely unfunded, so it was amazing that I was able to take that opportunity.” She worked with the Healthcare Outreach Unit, researching on the outbreaks of various healthcare associated infections.

This internship influenced her professional goals: “I had such a positive experience and being exposed to the various paths of senior leaders in public health has inspired me to follow a similar career in New York City when I graduate. I am also looking at roles in infection prevention control. However, the political landscape is such that many graduates are nervous about pursuing a career in public health, especially at the federal level. It’s a scary time to join the public health job market but it’s more important than ever to be a public health professional. A lot is at risk, and we have to remain hopeful.”

As graduation approaches in May 2025, Abby is finishing her final assignments and preparing for midterm exams. She looks forward to completing and publishing her thesis. When asked about the impact of the Foundation’s grant, she replies: “I was able to come to Mailman with no reservations. Receiving a scholarship has enabled me to pursue a career in public health. I hope I can make a difference.”

HFF has supported the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University with a grant of $2.5m ($500k p.a 2020/21/22/23/24) for the Huo Scholars ($2m) and Summer Practicums ($500k).