Hudson Fellows Alumni

Cassandra Querdibitty is a citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and a descendant of the Muscogee Nation. Cassandra became interested in public health during an internship in the Ngöbe Bugle territory located in Coto Brus, Costa Rica where she conducted a canine census and then coordinated a health evaluation of a random sample of canines. She earned a BS in Biological Sciences (2012) from Oklahoma State University, an MPH in Health Promotion Sciences from the OUHSC Hudson College of Public Health (2015) and then received training as a Health Promotion Specialist at the Oklahoma State Department of Health before continuing on to her PhD program in Health Promotion Sciences. Querdibitty was awarded the Health Promotion Sciences Department Doctoral Student of the Year in 2020. Cassandra is currently the Tribal Epidemiology Center Core Program Manager with the Oklahoma Area Tribal Epidemiology Center at the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board. She is also the Chair of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma Health Board and the Indian Health Service Wewoka Service Unit Health Advisory Board. Querdibitty chose the public health field because she is passionate about the health and well-being of indigenous people. Cassandra said she believes we must first address the root causes of health disparities and issues related to health equity through policy change before health and well-being can be achieved, especially by underserved populations.