Careers
The College offers career services for undergraduate and graduate students through our Office of Public Health Practice and Partnerships
Our Public Health Ambassadors are available to meet with students on an appointment basis to provide career counseling. Bill and Matt are retired local health commissioners with decades of experience and numerous professional contacts in Ohio and nationally. Bob is a former hospital executive who was responsible for strategic planning and other organization-wide indicatives at Akron Children's Hospital. They are dedicated to helping students prepare themselves for a career in public health and health care offering:
- Resume review and guidance
- Job interview advice
- Referrals for internships, applied practice experiences (APE), job shadowing, and job openings
Please with one of our Public Health Ambassadors and get to know them here!
The Ambassadors offer virtual career sessions each semester. To see the list of upcoming sessions, visit our Events webpage.
Archived Career Session Videos
Looking for a specific session? Email publichealth@kent.edu
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Fall 2025 Sessions
Meet a Health Policy Analyst and Alumnus
September 3, 2025
Robert Hakes, MPH, and Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at Cleveland’s MetroHealth System and ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State College of Public Health alumnus, discusses his career path and opportunities for public health graduates in health policy development.
Meet a Public Health Professional in the Food Service Industry
September 17, 2025
Cedric McMickle, Senior Manager, Total Quality, with Darden, a nationwide food service corporation with ownership of multiple nationwide restaurant chains, and a College of Public Health graduate student, discusses his career path through public health and private industry.
Meet an Environmental Health Professional
October 1, 2025
Mary Helen Smith, MPH, CPH, RS, REHS, retired Environmental Health Director at the Portage County Health District, discusses her career path and opportunities for public health students and graduates with an interest in the environment and environmental health.
Meet a Local Health Commissioner
October 15, 2025
Becky Lehman, MPH, MPA, CHES, Health Commissioner at the Portage County Health District, discusses her career path and opportunities for public health students and graduates in local public health practice.
Meet a Data Scientist and College of Public Health Alumna
October 29, 2025
Lauren Birmingham, PhD, Senior Lead Scientist at the technology and consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton and ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State College of Public Health alumna, discusses her work in health care data analytics and opportunities for public health students and graduates with an interest in this field.
Meet a College of Public Health Faculty Member
November 12, 2025
Rob Kollin, MSM, MS, Lecturer in the College of Public Health, discusses his career path and his previous experience working in the health insurance and IT industries.
Meet a Career Advisor from ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State Career Exploration and Development
December 3, 2025
Mac Smith, Senior Career Advisor at ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State Career Exploration and Development, discusses career and job readiness services available for public health students from his office.
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Spring 2025 Sessions
Ambassadors' Career Series - Meet the Dean of the College of Public Health
January 29, 2025
Join the Public Health Ambassadors for a conversation with Dr. Sonia Alemagno, Dean of the College of Public Health.
Student Learning and Job Opportunities at Oriana House
February 12, 2025
Dr. Alec Boros and GJ Farina from Oriana House, the Akron-based mental health and recovery services provider, will discuss student learning and job opportunities for public health students.
Career Opportunities in Philanthropy
February 26, 2025
Adrianne Price, MPH, Vice President, Community Impact at the United Way of Stark County, and College of Public Health alumna, will discuss her career in philanthropy and opportunities for public health graduates in this field.
Ambassadors' Career Series - Meet a Recent College of Public Health Alumnus
March 19, 2025
Dedonte Cheatham, College of Public Health alumnus (MPH 2024), discusses his career path in environmental health and epidemiology at the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.
Careers in Behavioral Health Services
April 9, 2025
Hattie Tracy, President & CEO of Coleman Health Services, will discuss her career, her organization and career opportunities for public health students.
Internship and Job Opportunities in Local Health and Human Services Agencies
April 16, 2025
Mark Frisone, Executive Director of Family and Community Services, with offices in ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï, Ohio and throughout northeast Ohio, will discuss opportunities for public health students and graduates in community health and human services programs.
Meet a College of Public Health Alumna and Student Preceptor-Instructor at Akron's Summa Health
April 30, 2025
Rose Penix, Quality, Culture and Inclusion Coordinator at Summa Health and College of Public Health Alumna, discusses her work and student learning opportunities at Summa Health.
Careers in Public Health
What kinds of careers in Public Health are available in today’s job market?
The public health field has a wide range of career opportunities for students who want to make a difference in the lives of others. Professionals in are responsible for improving the health and well-being of communities and individuals. ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State Public Health students who are passionate about these issues can pursue a variety of different career paths that are both professionally and financially rewarding.
Learn more about the following careers in Public Health by clicking on the links below:
- Emergency Management
- Environmental Health Specialist
- Epidemiologist
- Health Service Manager
- Lab Technologist
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
Globally there is a shortage of nearly 4.3 million health workers, and this is expected to increase by an additional 20 percent in the next two decades.¹ Because of this, there will be an increase in demand for graduates to fill these public health jobs.
According to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health:
More than 250,000 additional public health workers will be needed by 2020 to avert a public health crisis … Over the next 12 years, schools would have to train three times the current number of public health students to meet projected needs.²
This trend is also true for Ohio. The United Health Foundation projects that by the year 2020 the public health workforce shortages for the state of Ohio will be in excess of 10,000 workers.
Public Health Careers: Salary Expectations
According to recent salary surveys, yearly compensation ranges from $31,500 to $161,400 for the following types of careers in Public Health:
- Health services administrator
- Environmental health specialist
- Epidemiologist
- Biostatistician
- Internal health specialist
- Health educator
- Occupational health & safety specialist
- Laboratory Technologist
- Food safety specialist
Careers in Health Sciences
What kinds of careers Health Sciences are available in today’s job market?
The health sciences field has a wide range of career opportunities for students who want to make a difference in the lives of others. Professionals in various health science careers are responsible for improving healthcare delivery, patient rehabilitation, athletic performance, and overall wellness. ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State Health Sciences students who are passionate about these issues can pursue a variety of different career paths that are both professionally and financially rewarding.
Available careers in Health Sciences include:
- Athletic Trainer
- Exercise Physiologist
- Integrated Health Specialist
- Long-Term Care Administrator
- Nutritionist / Dietitian
- Speech-Language Pathologist / Audiologist
- Sport Psychologist
- Sports Medicine Practitioner
Globally and nationally, health-related industries are experiencing unprecedented growth driven by an aging population and an increased focus on preventative care. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics3, employment across healthcare and health science occupations is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations over the next decade. Because of this, there will be a continuous surge in demand for qualified graduates to fill these vital healthcare roles.
This will happen locally as well. The state's economic and labor forecasts4 project substantial shortages across regional healthcare networks, indicating that Ohio will require thousands of additional skilled health science and clinical professionals to maintain adequate levels of preventative, therapeutic, and long-term care.
Our faculty and staff are committed to preparing ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State Public Health and Health Sciences students to meet the requirements for these and other public health careers. Our curriculum combines academic and theoretical training with practical, hands-on experiences in real worksite settings.
How do I determine which public health program is best for me?
Schedule an advising appointment
To set up an appointment with our Academic Advising staff, call 330-672-6500 or e-mail us at publichealth@kent.edu
¹World Health Organization. The World Health Report 2006: working together for health. World Health Organization; Geneva: 2006 (accessed November 17, 2009).
²Association of Schools of Public Health. Confronting the Public Health Workforce Crisis (accessed November 17, 2009).
3Occupational Outlook Handbook: Healthcare Occupations, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
4The National Academy for State Health Policy.