Meet Our SPH Alumni Board Members
The SPH Alumni Board is comprised of individuals who earned a degree from any of our programs since the school was founded and who are committed to fostering a strong SPH community. Alumni Board members host bi-annual events where current students, faculty, staff, and other alumni can meet to network or just have fun. Please check the monthly SPH newsletter and social media accounts for announcements about upcoming alumni events. If you are interested in joining the Alumni Board, please contact Emily Schmied (eschmied@sdsu.edu).
Events
Please check back soon for information about our biannual Alumni Board Event or contact Emily Schmied for more information (eschmied@sdsu.edu)
Current SPH Alumni Board Members
Michael Bloom, MPH (EH)
Michael graduated from the school with an MPH in 1995 with an emphasis in Environmental Health. He has worked as a Physical Scientist for the Navy at Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest since 1993. He has managed and worked on numerous environmental restoration projects on many Navy facilities in California. These projects include both soil and groundwater studies and remediation. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family, travel, running, and thoroughbred racing.
Natalie Buchbinder, MPH
Natalie Buchbinder earned her MPH from the SDSU SPH with a concentration in health, management and policy in 2021. She currently works as a Biomedical Studies Project Manager with UCSD’s Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. While at SDSU, she worked with the County of San Diego’s Public Health Laboratory on the COVID testing program. Prior to pursuing her MPH, Natalie worked for a local public affairs firm conducting stakeholder outreach, communication and government relations initiatives across California. She holds an MPH in Health Management and Policy from SDSU, and a BA in Journalism and Business Administration from American University in Washington D.C. In her spare time, she enjoys visiting San Diego’s beautiful beaches and staying active in her local community.
Tracy Finlayson, PhD
Bio: Tracy L. Finlayson, PhD, is Professor and Division Head of the Graduate Program in Health Management and Policy in the School of Public Health at San Diego State University. She is an experienced interdisciplinary health services researcher trained in medical sociology. Her research focuses on oral health disparities, specifically exploring psychosocial determinants of oral health, facilitators and barriers to accessing dental services for underserved and vulnerable population groups, and the impact of health policy.
Cherianne Kestner, MPH, CHES
Cherianne Kester is the Community Support Coordinator, Joint Base Charleston, SC with the Department of the Air Force. Cherianne received a BS in elementary education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an MPH in health promotion and behavioral science from San Diego State University. She is looking forward to mentoring Aztecs and SPH students to support the future of the public health workforce.
Kai Roach, MPH
Kai Roach earned his MPH from the SDSU SPH with a concentration in epidemiology in 2020, and went on to pursue a career as an Epidemiologist for the County of San Diego and County of Los Angeles Public Health Departments. In both roles, Kai led COVID-19 outbreak and case investigations. Kai is now a PA student at USC Keck School of Medicine and will graduate in 2024 Kai joined the Alumni Board to give back and answer any questions related to the field of medicine.
Linda Salgin, MPH
LindaSalgin received her MPH with an concentration in health promotion and behavioral sciences from SDSU in 2015 and is also Certified in Public Health. Since graduating, she has worked with San Ysidro Health developing, implementing and evaluating both research and service oriented programs and has over 10 years of experience working with underserved populations focusing on infectious & chronic disease prevention and precision medicine. Her expertise specifically encompasses program development, implementation and evaluation in the context of Federally Qualified Health Centers. Currently, Linda is a doctoral student in the San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego Joint-Doctoral Program in Public Health with a focus on Health Behavior. Her research interests are grounded in Dissemination and Implementation Science where she hopes to continue bridging the gap that exists between the development of research programs and methodologies and the real world implications for success and sustainment of these initiatives.
Barb Robinette, MPH
Barb Robinette graduated with an MPH from the SPH in 1989, with an emphasis in Health Services Administration – now better known as HMP. She is the Vice President of Product Marketing for Enlyte a Casualty Insurance Services organization based in San Diego. Barb is a strategic marketing leader with 30+ years of experience leading high-growth initiatives in B2B health care and insurance markets through the development of first-ever integrated marketing strategies. Barb served as the Chair of the SPH Alumni Board until 2022.
Charlene Taylor, MPH
Bio coming soon!
SPH Alumni Committee Faculty Chair
Emily Schmied, MPH, PhD
Emily Schmied is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health and is currently serving as the Chair of the SPH Alumni Committee on the faculty side.
