Christina Dantam, MPH

Experience

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  Our Children Our Planet Inc. (OCOP)

  Mar 2015 - May 2019

  Vice President of Communications & Marketing

  Our Children Our Planet Inc. (OCOP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises awareness of the need for and provides comprehensive health improvement, educational planning and development, and improved social well-being for underserved children around the world, especially in Asia and Africa. Responsibilities include being a voting member of the board, acting as a spokesperson to raise awareness of the organization’s initiatives, regulating and directing social media outlets, and managing outreach. Show less

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  Mexican Consulate of Indianapolis

  Jul 2015 - Feb 2016

  Intern at the Mexican Consulate in Indianapolis, IN

  The Mexican Consulate represents the interests of the Mexican people and their government in the United States. This internship provided a foreign policy perspective with respect to negotiating an amicable working relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. My responsibilities included diplomatic event management, processing and organizing client immigration details, policy research services, communication services, providing support to Mexican immigrants by traversing governmental bureaucracy, logistical management of shipments to and from Mexico, and preparing campaign material. Show less

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  One Child One Light (OCOL)

  Jul 2016 - Dec 2016

  Student Ambassador & Promoter

  One Child One Light (OCOL) is a nonprofit organization that provides solar LED lights to children living in off-grid electricity areas to increase livelihood in an affordable and eco-friendly way, without the need for fossil fuels. Responsibilities included acting as a spokesperson for the organization, planning and executing the organization’s projects, distributing solar LED lights, and providing further outreach efforts in the United States.

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  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

  Aug 2016 - Aug 2016

  Research Team Member, Representative of One Child One Light

  Impact of Solar Homes in Rural Indian communities is a joint 2-year study initiated and managed by the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, and St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, India. The study focused on the effects solar LED lights have on the livelihood of individuals living in rural areas in India by installing solar streetlights provided by Thrive Solar Energy PVT. LTD. Responsibilities included coordinating partnerships with nonprofit organizations and distributing solar LED lights to vulnerable communities in remote areas without access to electricity. Show less

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  Purdue Student Government

  Aug 2016 - May 2017

  I represented the interests of the students of the College of Liberal Arts to the Purdue StudentGovernment (PSG) in my elected position as College Senator. My responsibilities included serving on university and undergraduate committees and drafting and sponsoring bills and resolutions in support of student life on campus and academic success. Working to pass legislation that works to implement positive lasting change in the lives of students and serve as a voice for students in the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University.

  • Purdue Student Government Senator for the College of Liberal Arts

    Sept 2016 - May 2017

  • College of Liberal Arts Senator

    Aug 2016 - Apr 2017
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  Purdue University

  Jan 2017 - Jan 2018

  U.S. Marine Corps Reserves' Officers Training

  I participated in the U.S. Marine Corps ROTC program at Purdue University. This program prepares students for leadership and management positions in the U.S. military and trains students to meet rigorous physical fitness standards. In addition to regular physical conditioning and field exercises, the academic curriculum includes classes in national security policy and the history of American military affairs.

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  United States Congress

  May 2017 - Aug 2017

  U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Intern

  Communicating with various interest groups, federal agencies, and constituents, and ensuring that their opinions and policy proposals are recorded and submitted for review, administrative functions such as organizing constituent files, updating database information regarding constituents, constituent event planning, communicating with the public and press, conducting research on relevant policies and presenting objective overviews of opposing sides, and opening congressional inquiries for constituent casework. Show less

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  Purdue Policy Research Institute (PPRI)

  May 2017 - Jan 2020

  Lead Undergraduate Research Fellow

  Leading and allocating responsibilities to a team of individuals from diverse fields of expertise to collaborate in an interdisciplinary manner to conduct research on how various issues impact communities and to provide such information to inform state and federal policymakers on how to implement effective policy solutions. Past research has focused on autonomous vehicles and the various policy concerns such as privacy, security, licensing issues, workforce disruption, environmental impact, and economic impact. Conducted and presented research on predictive models to aid in allocating resources to mitigate the impact of flooding in coastal areas. Show less

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  Our Children Our Planet, Inc. (OCOP)

  May 2019 - now

  Vice President of Public Health Initiatives

  Our Children Our Planet Inc. (OCOP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises awareness of the need for and provides comprehensive health improvement, educational planning and development, and improved social well-being for underserved children around the world, especially in Asia and Africa. Responsibilities included conducting and coordinating public health initiatives and projects, maintaining relationships with community partners, serving as a voting member of the board, acting as a spokesperson to raise awareness of the organization’s initiatives, and regulating and directing social media outlets. Show less

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  Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health

  Aug 2019 - May 2023

  Responsible for the academic growth, professional development, social engagement, and philanthropic activities of the public health graduate students. Served as a voice and provided representation for the graduate student body. Facilitated and mediated several panels between faculty, students, alumni, and public health leaders across the state of Indiana to foster mentorship and professional development opportunities. Participated in accreditation proceedings for the Fairbanks School of Public Health. Served on the departmental curriculum committee with department heads monthly. Reported to the Founding Dean monthly, served on administrative review committees to evaluate senior-level faculty, and facilitated and maintained partnerships with community members and other organizations. Show less Served alongside public health stakeholders and leaders in the state of Indiana on the Administrative Review Committee. Identified successes and areas of improvement for the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health under the leadership of the Founding Dean, Dr. Paul Halverson. Conducted several personal interviews and led focus groups of undergraduate and graduate students in every department at Fairbanks. Produced a comprehensive report of general trends and feedback for school leadership provided by the students. Served in the capacity of the President of the Master of Public Health Student Association. Show less

  • Social and Behavioral Sciences Student Leadership Council

    Jan 2022 - May 2023

  • President of Masters of Public Health Student Association

    Aug 2019 - Aug 2022

  • Dean Halverson Administrative Review Committee Member

    Aug 2019 - May 2020
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  Indiana Department of Correction

  Aug 2021 - now

  Graduate Researcher at Indiana Women's Prison

  In partnership with the Indiana Women’s Prison and the IUPUI Grassroots Maternal and Child Health Initiative, I conducted focus groups with incarcerated women and their children living in the Leath Unit Prison Nursery, consolidated all the women’s healthcare concerns and needs, coalesced evidence-based materials, and authored a 75-paged manual. The manual includes 47 health promotional roadmaps to build the capacity of incarcerated women to navigate the healthcare system post-release. Working with a graphic designer, we created engaging and visually-appealing infographics. Lastly, we established an implementation system for correctional staff to distribute our collection of roadmaps that meets each woman’s healthcare needs as she exits prison. Show less

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  Indiana University School of Medicine

  Aug 2022 - now

  In partnership with Early Learning Indiana, we aim to implement a pilot curriculum incorporating social-emotional components in 60 early childhood programs over three years in high-risk areas in IU Health regions. We intend to evaluate the curriculum for increasing flourishing markers, resiliency, and ability to self-regulate emotions in children ages 0-5. Currently, we are conducting a landscape review of early child care centers across the state of Indiana (i.e., daycares, pre-schools, and kindergartens) to evaluate the needs of children as well as assessments and curricula used by Indiana childcare providers. Show less I was named the Indiana University (IU) Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Public Health Fellow for 2022-2023. LEND takes an integrative community-based programming and advocacy approach to train its graduates on how neurodevelopmental disabilities impact vulnerable populations and how interdisciplinary approaches can improve health outcomes. LEND programs are graduate-level interdisciplinary leadership training programs that are federally funded through the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) and the Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The Division of Developmental Medicine provides the LEND program in the Department of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. Show less

  • Graduate Research Assistant: Impact of Early Positive Childhood Experiences

    Oct 2022 - now

  • IU Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Public Health Fellow

    Aug 2022 - May 2023
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  HeroX

  Aug 2022 - Dec 2022

  Maternal Community Outreach Recruiter

  As a maternal-child public health practitioner, I was contracted with HeroX, a large crowd-sourcing technology company. Responsible for recruiting 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations for the Connecting the Community for Maternal Health Initiative on behalf of the NICHD, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Our task was to build the internal infrastructure and capacity of nonprofits to contribute to and advance maternal health research in the United States. My responsibilities included recruitment, outreach, and assisting organizations in identifying their limitations and fostering conversations regarding the future trajectory of their research capabilities. Show less

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  Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV

  Sept 2023 - now

  Music in Medicine is a volunteer and service-oriented organization of medical students and faculty at the UNLV School of Medicine. Members serve the Las Vegas Metropolitan area through musical performance and artistry. My responsibilities include organizing performances with local community partners, facilitating performances to raise funds for various social causes, and coordinating with Student Affairs to perform at major school events, such as White Coat ceremonies, awards ceremonies, graduations, charity events, and donor events. Show less I serve as a Student Representative of the UNLV School of Medicine to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). My responsibilities include representing my institution on a national platform, serving as a liaison to the AAMC, and advocating for progress in academic medicine. The purview of my role includes representing the perspective of students and faculty in addressing complex barriers in humanism in medicine, access to mental health services, diversity and inclusion, and navigating the ACGME residency match process. I work to identify the educational priorities of my institution, work with our student affairs, student government, and faculty to conceptualize barriers we face in academic medicine, and serve as a facilitator to the AAMC in addressing these barriers. This role includes attending AAMC-sponsored conferences throughout the year to meet, learn from, and address issues affecting academic medicine with other representatives of medical schools. Show less The American Medical Association is a professional organization of physicians and medical students advocating for the betterment of medicine and public health. I serve as a board member, secretary, and member of the AMA chapter at the UNLV School of Medicine. The mission of our chapter is to represent the voice of medical students in legislative bodies to the national AMA by drafting and sponsoring policies addressing issues impacting healthcare, such as patient care, healthcare delivery, and public health crises. My responsibilities include acting as a voting member of the board, coordinating educational and advocacy events with medical students, setting agendas and documenting board meetings, drafting policies with my colleagues, and reporting the attendance of our members. Show less

  • President of American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Chapter at UNLV

    Jan 2024 - now

  • Medical Student Researcher: Department of Surgery

    Nov 2023 - now

  • President of Music in Medicine

    Sept 2023 - now

  • Organization of Student Representatives (OSR) to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)

    Sept 2023 - now

  • Secretary & Board Member of American Medical Association (AMA) Chapter

    Sept 2023 - now
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  Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

  Mar 2024 - now

  Visting Researcher