Three Doctoral Students Named Hudson Fellows in Public Health

Three doctoral students whose work spans epidemiology, health promotion and biostatistics have been selected as the newest Hudson Fellows in Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health.

Jennifer Akosa, Katie Qualls Fay and Nivedita Selvaraj will receive sustained support for their doctoral studies and research as they pursue new approaches to improving health in Oklahoma and beyond.

Established in 2015 through the generosity of Dr. Leslie Hudson and Mr. Clifford “Cliff” Hudson, the Hudson Fellows in Public Health program supports exceptional graduate students training at the highest levels of their disciplines. Each fellowship supports up to four consecutive years of full-time Ph.D. study, allowing recipients to focus more fully on their research, academic development and preparation for careers advancing public health.

The three newest fellows bring distinct academic backgrounds, research interests and life experiences to their work, reflecting the many ways public health professionals can improve the lives of individuals and communities.

Jennifer Akosa

Jennifer Akosa is a doctoral student in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology whose journey from medicine to public health has been guided by a simple conviction: Better health begins with asking better questions.

Akosa earned her medical degree from Sumy State University in Ukraine before completing a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at East Tennessee State University. While her clinical training taught her to focus on the individual patient, epidemiology inspired her to look beyond the clinic and examine the factors that shape health before a patient ever arrives.

Her research explores how social, behavioral and clinical factors intersect to influence health—and how epidemiologic evidence can strengthen clinical care and public health practice. As a graduate research assistant, Akosa contributes to program evaluation efforts supporting chronic disease prevention and management in Oklahoma through three federally funded grants.

Her work with the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma Healthy Brain Initiative Coalition includes data management, survey development and the preparation of reports for key stakeholders.

Akosa also serves as the 2026-2027 event coordinator for the Epidemiologic Research Student Association. Through this role, she hopes to help students build meaningful connections, learn from one another and become more engaged in research beyond the classroom.

Outside of academics, Akosa enjoys music, spending time with family and friends, and following soccer—a sport she jokes she might have pursued professionally in another life. Her faith also remains an important part of her life, shaping her values and commitment to serving others.

Katie Qualls Fay

Katie Qualls Fay is a seventh-generation Oklahoman and third-year Ph.D. student in Health Promotion Sciences. Her commitment to helping people make healthier choices began early: She remembers being selected to deliver the “Why I Live Tobacco Free” speech at her sixth-grade D.A.R.E. assembly as the moment she knew health promotion would be part of her future.

Before beginning her doctoral studies, Fay worked at the University of Oklahoma’s Norman campus as a health promotion practitioner and fitness instructor. She also taught several health-related undergraduate courses and most recently worked for the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline.

Her research interests include increasing the use of primary care services and referral uptake, cancer screening, survey development and health communication strategies. Through her work, Fay hopes to help individuals make informed decisions while improving health across communities in her home state.

Fay credits her colleagues with supporting her through this important career transition and is grateful to Hudson College faculty—particularly her mentor, Dr. Carpenter—for creating an encouraging environment in which to learn and work.

Outside of her studies, Fay and her husband, Evan, serve in their local church and attend as many OU sporting events as possible.

Nivedita Selvaraj

Nivedita Selvaraj is a Ph.D. student in Biostatistics and a graduate research assistant at the Hudson College. Before beginning her doctoral studies, she earned a master’s degree in business analytics from the University of Utah and worked as a data analyst.

Her research explores how statistical and emerging data science methods can transform complex health care and population-level data into actionable evidence. Through this work, Selvaraj hopes to generate reliable insights that support earlier risk identification, inform treatment strategies and strengthen public health decision-making.

Selvaraj is also an active student leader. She currently serves as president of the Hudson College of Public Health Student Association and previously served as treasurer of the Epidemiologic Research Student Association. Through these roles, she works to strengthen connections and encourage collaboration among students, faculty and staff.

Outside of her academic pursuits, Selvaraj enjoys exploring new places, volunteering at INTEGRIS Health and spending time with friends.

As Hudson Fellows, Akosa, Fay and Selvaraj join a growing community of scholars whose work reflects the breadth of public health and its ability to improve lives. The continued generosity and vision of Dr. and Mr. Hudson provide these students with an opportunity to pursue meaningful research while preparing to become leaders in public health scholarship, practice and service.