Student Prepares for Meeting and Exposition

From Nov. 7-11, 2009, the American Public Health Association (APHA) is hosting its annual meeting and exposition in Philadelphia.

As an intern at the association, Nicole Cimbak (NHS'12) has been spending a good bit of her time preparing for the big event, which draws about 11,000 attendees.

"I'm in charge of running the national public health booth," said the international health major. "We educate everyone who stops by about the association's mission and try to recruit them to join APHA."

Cimbak, who is attempting to organize an APHA chapter on Georgetown University's campus, works within the association's affiliate affairs division, which coordinates 53 affiliates across the country. She said the organization is a perfect outlet for her interest in public health.

"I really want to do something that will take up a large portion of my time rather than be spread too thin over many organizations," Cimbak said. "I became involved with APHA and am looking to bring it back to campus."

Her international health classes, she said, have positioned her to succeed at APHA.

"All of my classes have contributed to the internship experience," Cimbak said. "I really love the international health major. It has the right amount of science, and it has the right amount of policy. It feels like a right match."

Aside from her work in APHA, Cimbak, a native of Philadelphia, is active with Relay for Life and UNICEF. She is also looking to spend spring break 2010 in Bolivia working with Save the Children.

“I am glad to be here at Georgetown especially because of its prime location” she said. “I really think that I have found my niche here with studying international health in class and applying my studies at APHA.”