ALUMNI PROFILES
John McLane MPH (Graduated in Feburary 2005)
Director of Public Health for the Nome region in Alaska
"My name is John McLane, I have been a Public Health Nurse in northwestern Alaska since 2000 and completed my MPH via the UMass distance program in 2005. Soon after completing my degree I became the Director of Public Health for the Nome region, a position I still hold. I decided to purse my MPH after working with colleagues who had th
e credentials and realizing how much more depth their practice demonstrated. Public Health fascinates me, particularly communicable disease, and an MPH was the key to the kingdom. The courses in the PHP program were tooled to be directly applicable to my work as a PH professional. The faculty, while demanding, were cognizant of the challenges posed by working full time in a position of responsibility while attending classes. The program challenged, but did not overwhelm.
Since graduation I have helped revise Public Health practices in my region to meet changed population and economic needs. Next up is my PhD, through the University of Otago in New Zealand. My MPH was the start of an entirely different state in my career, and I recommend it without reservation.
John is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi which is the nation's oldest, largest, and most selective all-discipline honor society. John was chosen as an member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society due to his academic excellence and demonstration of qualities of leadership in public health.
