Department of Data Analytics and Epidemiology welcomes two more interns 09.05.25

September 5, 2025

Department of Data Analytics and Epidemiology welcomes two more interns

MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile County Health Department’s (MCHD) Department of Data Analytics and Epidemiology (DAE) has been selected once again to serve as a host site for the Region IV Public Health Training Center’s Pathways to Practice program. The initiative places graduate students in applied public health settings where they can gain hands-on experience while supporting local health priorities.

This semester, DAE welcomes two interns. Kimberlyn Taylor, a Master of Public Health student at Spring Hill College, who will focus on strategic communications to address vaccine hesitancy, and Josue Guevera, a Master of Public Administration (Healthcare Administration) student at the University of South Alabama, who will concentrate on data analysis and policy initiatives related to Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) activities.

Josue’s arrival builds on the department’s successful partnership with the Pathways to Practice program. Over the summer, DAE hosted Darrius Bushe, a Master of Public Health student from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who analyzed opioid overdose behavioral trends in Mobile County.

“Internships are an essential part of our work at MCHD,” said Dr. Tommie Walker, Epidemiologist and Manager of DAE. “Whether students join us through programs like Pathways to Practice or as part of their required practicums, they make meaningful contributions to the agency while gaining real-world experience that prepares them for careers in public health.”

The Pathways to Practice program provides students with a 10- to 12-week applied internship experience and a $3,500 stipend provided by the Region IV Public Health Training Center. Eligible participants include graduate students with either interest in or focusing on public health disciplines.

Interns working with MCHD gain practical experience in a variety of areas, including supporting community health assessment activities, assisting with data collection and analysis for projects related to sexually transmitted infections and chronic/infectious diseases, developing health education materials, contributing to program evaluation and grant tasks, and engaging in interdepartmental collaborations.