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Lura Daussat says that being close to opportunities that support her goal of becoming a leader in public health practice was one of the factors in relocating her family to Atlanta and then applying to GSU’s DrPH program.
Name: Lura Daussat
Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Undergraduate and master’s degrees and institutions:
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of North Texas and a Master of Public Health in International Health and Development at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. I was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana for three years between undergrad and graduate school.
Tell us about your current position and role in public health:
I am currently the Director of the Practice Support business unit at the Public Health Informatics Institute (PHII), a program of the Task Force for Global Health. Our team provides technical assistance to build informatics capacity within jurisdictional public health agencies—i.e., we empower agencies to use data more effectively to improve health outcomes in their jurisdictions. In this role, I helm a team of expert informaticians and direct their work of using evidence-based informatics practices to improve public health practice. I also partner directly with PHII funders to ensure projects remain aligned with strategic public health initiatives to improve health outcomes.
What led you to choose the Georgia State School of Public Health’s DrPH program?
The Doctor of Public Health program at Georgia State University is built on competencies that reflect what I want to improve upon and offers the ability to join a cohort with similar goals. Social justice, health equity and social determinants of health are essential to improving population health and empowering a new public health workforce. As a leader, I need to be familiar with and practice these essential values and competencies. Being close to opportunities that support my goal of becoming a leader in public health practice was one of the factors in relocating my family to Atlanta and then applying to the GSU DrPH program. As the public health workforce transitions and diversifies, I want to be able to support and encourage that on my team, and to incorporate it in recruitment and development. I aspire to think more strategically when planning and working with my colleagues, and the GSU DrPH program helps me gain those skills.
Tell us about some of your most valuable experiences in the DrPH program. So far, I think one of the most valuable components of my experience is learning from my colleagues. We all have such unique backgrounds and perspectives that it gives me an opportunity to learn and have my views questioned. In addition, each class has some aspect that is applicable to my day-to-day job. I appreciate being in class and being able to apply and relate the things we are learning almost immediately to my day job. I think it is making me a better employee, a better student and a better person.