PPHS kicks off inaugural Alumni Council

The Department of Population and Public Health Sciences is excited to introduce its first Alumni Council, a group of committed individuals who will help strengthen department programs and the impact of its graduates.
The council represents more than 4,600 alumni who have graduated from programs at the undergraduate, graduate, doctorate and post-doctorate levels. Two seats are held by current students who serve in a leadership capacity and two seats are held by faculty members.
Steven De La Torre
MPH online ’15, HBR PhD projected ’23
Area of focus: Community Health Promotion
Home city: Covina, CA
Employer, position: USC Keck School of Medicine, Graduate Research Assistant
Rachna Desai
BS ’04
Home city: Orange, CA
Employer, position: Providence Health, Program Manager
Ramon Llamas
MPH campus ’09
Area of focus: Bio/Epi
Home city: Durham, NC
Employer, position: Consultuant, Founder/Social Entrepreneur + Strategist
Serineh Melidonian, MD
BS ’99
Home city: La Canada, CA
Employer, position: Adventist Health Glendale, Physician
Lucy Ruderman
BS ’16
Home city: Chapel Hills, NC
Employer, position: UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health / FHI 360, MPH Student / Public Health Research Fellow
Hayley Sayrs
MPH campus ’20
Area of focus: Health Services and Policy
Home city: Los Angeles
Employer and position: VIP Community Mental Health Center, Grants Manager
Melody Serra
MPH campus ’11
Area of focus: Global Health
Home city: Essex, CT
Employer, position: Year Up, Educator/Software Engineer
Kayla Tilton
BS ’17, MPH campus ’19
Area of focus: Health Services and Policy
Home city: Los Angeles
Employer, position: Council District 10, City of Los Angeles, Deputy for Civic Engagement and Legislation
Nicole Vick, 
MPH campus, ’05
Area of focus: Community Health Promotion
Home city: Los Angeles
Employer, position: County of Los Angeles, Program Director
Faculty representatives
Rita Burke, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor of Clinical Population Health Sciences
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Jane Steinberg, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor of Population Health Sciences
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
For more information about the council, please contact Karen Thomas, director of development, at karentho@usc.edu.