The Community and Behavioral Health Student Association was established to provide opportunities for professional development, service-oriented outreach and student social events. CBHSA aims to create unity among all students in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health by serving as a means of communication between students, faculty, the College of Public Health, and the community.

Aims and Functions

• Develop a sense of community among all students and staff in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health
• Expand opportunities for student professional development
• Facilitate student dialogue with local, state, and national organizations

Membership

All CBHSA sponsored events are open to students studying Community and Behavioral Health. Elections for officer positions are held twice a year. Contact an officer for more information.

2024-2025 Officers

Ella Mucciolo (she/her) – President

Ella is a second-year MPH student in the department of Community and Behavioral Health. She has a BS in Health Promotion, a BA in Global Health Studies, and a minor in Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies from Iowa.

Outside of class, Ella works as a Health Promotion Assistant at Student Wellness and as a Research Assistant in Dr. O’Neal’s ChIRP Lab. She is also involved in the college’s LGBTQ+ Health Equity Advocates group, and the university’s Campus Wellness Leaders group. She is still exploring her public health interests, but is particularly passionate about community health, sexual health, and lifestyle behavior change. On her own time, Ella loves to cook, read, rollerblade, and spend time with her loved ones!

Izzy Thomas (she/her) – Vice President

Izzy Thomas is a second-year MPH student in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health. She was a U2G student and graduated in Spring of 2024 from the University of Iowa with a B.S. in Public Health and a minor in Gender, Health, and Healthcare Equity.

At the University of Iowa, Izzy has been involved in several research projects. From 2022-2023 she was a research assistant in the department of pediatrics investigating the impacts of SSRIs and maternal depression on fetal heart development. In the summer of 2024 Izzy will be working in Dr. Elizabeth O’Neal’s ChIRP lab. Additionally, Izzy works at University of Iowa Student Wellness as the Violence Prevention Program Assistant. Izzy is committed to improving health equity, especially for the LGBTQ+ community. She is specifically interested in the intersections of queer identities in family building, reproduction, and interpersonal violence. She hopes to pursue a career dedicated to advancing support, equity, and justice in birthing spaces for all people and is committed to building a world where everyone has the right to the family they dream of building in the way they wish to build it.

Outside of the classroom, Izzy loves to read, expand her culinary skills, crack jokes with her pals, and spend quality time with her siblings and family.

Sarah Adams (she/her)- Service Chair

Sarah is a second year MPH student in the Community and Behavioral Health Department. She was born and raised in Kalamazoo, MI, but has lived in ten different states in the US, mostly in the Midwest and the South. She completed her B.S. in Psychology at Arizona State University in 2019. Before becoming a student at the University of Iowa, Sarah worked as a service dog trainer and completed a service term in AmeriCorps NCCC. One of Sarah’s primary interests is exploring human-animal interactions and relationships.

Faith Ibitoye (she/her) – Professional Development Chair

Faith is a first-year MPH student in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health where she works as a Research Assistant in Dr. O’Neal’s ChIRP Lab. She graduated from Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State, Nigeria with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology in 2019.

After her undergraduate program, she interned in Royal Heritage Health Foundation, a non-governmental organization in Nigeria for 3 years, where she developed her interest in Public Health. She enjoys going to field works, advocating for community health ownership and implementing health promotion interventions. Over the years, she became more interested in adolescent health, their education, their behaviors and the socioeconomic status that surrounds them. She is passionate about administering a 360 approach to improve adolescent health, their academics and lifestyle. In her free time, she enjoys singing, drawing and learning new things.

Jaron Jones – Social Chair

Jaron is a second-year MPH student in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.S. in Public Health and a minor in Spanish.

Currently, Jaron works with Dr. Johnson on the development of a youth mental health curriculum, working with a group of Iowa teens to produce peer-informed content. Some of his research interests include LGBTQ+ youth mental health, homeless veterans’ mental health, and HIV prevention in underserved populations. Outside of work, Jaron enjoys hiking, baking, playing the piano, catching up on his favorite shows, trying new foods, and playing with his cat, Bowser.

Syreine Richtsmeier (she/her) – Public Relations Liaison

Syreine is a first-year MPH student in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health. She graduated from the University of Iowa in 2023 with a B.S. in Public Health on the pre-medicine track and a minor in Dance.

At the University of Iowa, Syreine has been involved in several research project working with the VA as well as the Fraternal Order of Eagles. From 2021-2024 she was a research assistant for the department of internal medicine investigating the mechanism of pancreatic beta cell failure in Type 2 diabetes through clinical and nonclinical research. This fall, Syreine will be working with Dr. Paul Gilbert’s lab investigating alcohol-related disparities. Additionally, Syreine volunteers at the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic in her spare time. She is specifically interested in the intersection of infectious diseases and health access, health equity, and vaccine uptake in underserved populations. After completing her MPH, Syreine hopes to attend medical school to become an infectious disease physician.

Outside of the classroom, Syreine enjoys hiking, playing the piano, gardening, and spending quality time with her friends and family.