Meet Alumnus Brandon Horvath

Where are you from originally, and where do you live now?
I am originally from Slatington, PA, a small town at the northernmost tip of Lehigh County, and I currently live in Center City, Philadelphia with my Boston Terrier mix, Lilo.

Why did you apply to the MPH program, and why did you choose Jefferson?
My interest in public health stems from a course I had taken as an undergraduate student at Arcadia University called, "Homes, Housing, and Homelessness." A portion of the course was devoted to service learning with a Philadelphia-based organization of our choosing. As part of my service hours, I served as an overnight host at one of the organization’s temporary housing sites and spoke with the families about their experiences. Having these conversations and working directly with trusted messengers in the community provides us with an opportunity to home in on key determinants of health and develop people-focused strategies. I chose Jefferson because of its focus on experiential learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.

What was the best part of your time at Jefferson College of Population Health (JCPH)?
Opportunities to learn, grow, and collaborate. During my time as a JCPH student, I completed an internship with the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) in Washington, D.C., where I deepened my understanding of health education and advocacy. I also worked as a graduate assistant for the University’s Health Science Pipeline Programs, supporting curriculum development, peer-to-peer mentorship, and STEM programming for middle- and high-school students. In my final semester with JCPH, I participated in a hotspotting program where I was placed on a cross-disciplinary team that helped people who frequently utilized emergency services receive more targeted, coordinated care. Through these opportunities and the courses led by JCPH faculty, I made great professional connections and lasting friendships and developed many of the skills needed to continue my public health journey in Philadelphia.

Describe your capstone project. Why were you interested in that topic?
My capstone project, POPPED©: Prescription Overdose Prevention through Pre-Professional Education and Discussion, was a health education program developed as part of a SOPHE/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fellowship in Unintentional Injury Prevention. The competency-based curriculum was intended to equip future health professionals with the knowledge, skills, and advocacy tools, and raise awareness about the opioid epidemic and initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels. At the time, overdose rates were at an all-time high, and I was particularly interested in creating an educational resource that practitioners and pre-professional students could reference that highlighted recent changes to legislation and opportunities for additional training and education.

In what ways has the Jefferson degree facilitated your career?
Jefferson is where my public health journey began. Without the foundational skills I gained through the MPH program and the opportunities that followed, I would not have landed my first role as a Health Communications Coordinator (on graduation day!).

What are you doing now?
I am the Assistant Program Manager for the Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness (BT-PHP) Program at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. In the 8 years I’ve been with BT-PHP, I have overseen all emergency and tactical communications activities for the Program and have led our Communications Unit for the last five. Together, we issue mission-critical health information to staff, partners, and members of the healthcare community. With an all-hazards approach in mind, we prepare messaging for several potential activations, including excessive heat events, air quality issues, severe storms and flooding, building closures, and evacuations. In this role, I strive to ensure everyone has access to the information they need to make informed decisions about their health, and to create spaces where BT-PHP staff feel comfortable, supported, and encouraged to be creative and innovative in their approaches.

Share advice for prospective students pursuing a degree in your field.
Don’t feel like you need to have everything mapped out at the beginning. You may start out thinking you want to pursue one role and end up doing something completely different. No matter where your public health education may take you, remember to stay curious, committed, and connected.

Describe additional recognitions and achievements.
I am a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC).
In  2024, I became a brand ambassador for the Public Health Communications Collaborative, a learning and information hub for professionals who communicate about public health.  This past summer, I graduated from the Developing Executive Leaders in Public Health (DELPH) Program, an initiative led by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) that is committed to ensuring a well-prepared public health workforce. As a result of this experience, I was featured in DELPH Magazine (vol. 6)!

What’s something people would be surprised to find out about you?
I ran two half marathons during COVID-19 and will hopefully be completing my third in November.