Two New Hudson Fellows in Public Health Named

The Hudson Fellows in Public Health Program was established in 2015 to support outstanding students in full time doctoral study and research at the Hudson College of Public Health, through the generosity of Dr. Leslie and Cliff Hudson. 

Please join us in congratulating our newest Hudson Fellows, John “Grady” Heller and Whitney Kerr.

John “Grady” Heller earned a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the Hudson College of Public Health in 2018. Grady is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology, studying infectious epidemiology.  He has worked in hospital policy, report evaluation and as a tobacco cessation data collector.  More recently, he has worked with CDC Foundation and Oklahoma State Department of Health to improve the state’s COVID-19 surveillance reporting and data management practices, but he is most passionate about infectious disease transmission models and forecasting.  He strongly believes in collaboration across professions to tackle pressing health issues, and hopes to incorporate new techniques of analysis and prediction into public health in the future. Grady serves as the Epidemiological Research Student Association President.

Whitney Kerr earned a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the Hudson College of Public Health in 2016 and holds a Master of Bioethics (MBE) degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Whitney is currently working on projects in the Departments of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Reproductive Endocrinology, and Pediatrics - Diabetes and Endocrinology Section at OU Health medicine with Dr. Jennifer Peck. She worked in clinical research in Philadelphia for five years before returning to Oklahoma for her Ph.D. Whitney is passionate about promoting women’s health and equity in all spaces and believes one of the best ways to do this is to reduce disparate pregnancy outcomes and childhood health problems. She also aims to continue incorporating work in research and public health ethics into her doctoral projects and future career. Whitney is published in the Journal of Medical Ethics and has presented at several local and national conferences. 

In addition to her academic accomplishments, she is passionate about leadership development and is active in leadership and service both on campus and professionally. Whitney has served as a conference abstract reviewer, conference poster and oral session judge, and volunteers as a reviewer for three academic journals. She is also active in student leadership including serving as a founding Co-Chair of the HCOPH COVID-19 Committee (C19C) and the HCOPH Student Association President. 

For more information about the Hudson Fellows in Public Health program, including how to apply, visit: https://publichealth.ouhsc.edu/Current-Students/Hudson-Fellows