ALUMNI PROFILES
Troy Ritter MPH (Graduated in May 2006)
Commissioned officer with the US Public Heath Service assigned to the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) in Anchorage, Alaska
I 
am a commissioned officer with the US Public Heath Service assigned to the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) in Anchorage, Alaska. The ANTHC is the largest Tribally-managed health organization in the US. My specific role is manager of of the Environmental Health Research, Consultation and Special Projects program. I previously served as Chief Environmental Health Officer for the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation in Bethel, Alaska. This program was responsible for providing comprehensive environmental public health services for 48 Alaska Native villages located within a geographic region roughly the size of Ohio.
I received my MPH degree from UMass in May 2006. I am currently pursuing a PhD in environmental public health from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. For my dissertation, I am serving as principle investigator for a prospective study of in-home water service and infectious diseases in four Alaska Native villages. I am particularly interested in developing a better understanding of how availability of in-home water service influences rates of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs). These infections are the second leading cause of child death worldwide and are a particular concern among rural Alaska Natives.
A distinct advantage of going to school while working full time was that I was able to incorporate class principles into my day-to-to work activities. For example, I utilized information from the research methods course to critic a flawed study that was causing difficulties for my program. The authors concluded that residents of a community with access to fluoridated water had only 11% lower Medicaid dental expenditures than a nearby non-fluoridated community. This is much lower than the generally-accepted cost savings estimates. After evaluating the study methods, I noted that that only about half of subjects included within the fluoridated cohort were actually receiving fluoridated water (non-fluoridated well water). This was certainly diluting the result. The authors later withdrew the report noting this methodological flaw.
Within a year of graduating with my MPH from UMass
I was promoted to the position of Senior Environmental Health Consultant for my organization, named employee of the year by both the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the Indian Health Service Division of Environmental Health Services, recognized as Outstanding Alumni by Eastern Kentucky University’s College of Health Sciences and inducted as a Diplomate of the American Academy of Sanitarians. During this time my supervisor noted that my work had improved as a result of the UMass courses.
My immediate career goal is to establish a program addressing air quality issues in Alaska’s Tribal communities. Historically air quality has not been an area of focus for Alaska’s environmental public health professionals. It appears that a substantial impact could be made on human health through improved air quality. From a career perspective, I have an interest in entering the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program. Personally, I have learned to enjoy traditional Alaskan activities, such as camping, fishing, skiing and hunting for moose. I have a son (6 yrs old) and a daughter (4 years old), plus a terrific wife who is very supportive of my professional and educational endeavors.
