Meet Our Graduates: School of Health Sciences

What CofC School of Health Sciences Graduates Are Doing Next 

David Anderson

Public Health Major

Enrolled in the Master of Public Health Program in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health

“Success can be measured in more ways than the amount of money in your bank account.”

For David Anderson, that realization led him to step away from a successful 13-year carpentry business to pursue a public health degree at the College of Charleston.

Over the years, Anderson witnessed disparities among fellow tradespeople from different racial, ethnic, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds, including inequities in pay, limited access to healthcare and unsafe working conditions. Ultimately this shaped his decision to pursue a career focused on improving the health and wellbeing of communities.

Anderson quickly discovered that the skills he developed in carpentry translated naturally into public health, seeing parallels between building structures and building healthier communities.

“True craftsmanship requires thoughtful design, diligence and the ability to work with quality materials and smart people,” he says. “The same can be said for building healthy, resilient communities.”

As a nontraditional student, Anderson found a welcoming and inclusive environment and credits professors Katie Trejo Tello, Leslie Hart and Christy Kollath-Cattano with helping shape his academic journey.

“They are not only brilliant and passionate public health professionals, but also exceptional educators and generous mentors,” he says.

During his time at the College, Anderson earned an internship at the Medical University of South Carolina that later became a volunteer research assistant position. Through the SC Safe Seniors program, he helped research the mental health needs of trauma-affected older adults across South Carolina.

“It quickly led to a study with profound implications for future research and program implementation across the state,” says Anderson. “I was present for every step, from problem identification through dissemination of our findings.”

Anderson will continue his research at MUSC while pursuing a master’s degree at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he plans to study One Health epidemiology, an interdisciplinary approach connecting the health of people, animals and the environment.

“I love to learn,” says Anderson. “Returning to higher education not only affirmed that, but strengthened this seemingly unending pursuit of knowledge.”

Looking ahead, he hopes his research will improve conditions for underserved populations and environmental systems alike.

Savannah Case

Biology and Public Health Double-Major with a Concentration in Maternal and Child Health

Enrolled in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at the Medical University of South Carolina

Witnessing health disparities and how strongly socioeconomic status shapes overall health outcomes sparked the interest of Savannah Case during her freshman year while working at a local hospital. Originally a psychology major, Case found herself drawn to the direct connection she built with patients.

“I loved my job as a patient care technician, especially the direct patient interaction,” she says. “I realized I wanted to continue along this path and apply my knowledge of patient advocacy and support in a more hands-on way.”

Her academic experience at the College allowed her to explore healthcare through research, scholarship and service. She served as a research assistant with professor Leslie Hart, worked on a lab team studying microplastics in dolphin and fish samples through a grant-funded project and presented her research at the EXPO, the College’s annual showcase celebrating mentored research, scholarship, creative inquiry and community service projects.

Last year, Case earned the Darwin Week Student Presentation Award, an achievement she says strengthened both her confidence and passion for scientific research.

“I felt proud to receive the award,” she says. “It affirmed that my hard work had paid off.”

Case decided she wanted to pursue nursing when The Structure of the U.S. Healthcare System, a course she took her junior year, reshaped how she viewed healthcare.

“This class changed my outlook on the healthcare system and my role as a citizen and future nurse,” she says. “It also developed my passion for increased access to primary care, which improves health outcomes and lowers healthcare costs.”

Throughout her entire academic journey at the College, Case maintained a high GPA and earned recognition on the President’s and Dean’s lists. She also received numerous scholarships and awards for academic achievement, including the Laura S. Griffin Health Educator Scholarship, the PE/Health Science Scholarship, the CofC Fund Scholarship, the Hibernian Society Foundation Scholarship, the Access to Excellence Scholarship, the College of Charleston Merit Scholarship and the South Carolina LIFE Scholarship.

Case is excited about the next phase of life and is open to many career opportunities.

“Right now, I work on a cardiac floor, which I would love to continue with after nursing school,” she says. “I am very passionate about preventative care, so I would love to one day work as a primary care nurse. I could also see myself earning my master’s degree and working as a nurse practitioner.”

Wherever her career takes her, it all started at the College of Charleston.

Maren Stroup

Public Health and French and Francophone Studies Double Major in the Honors College

Serving as an alumni fellow at the Institute for American Universities in Aix-en-Provence, France, with plans to pursue graduate studies in global health or public health administration after completing the fellowship

Thirteen years ago, a major fitness chain popularized the terms lunk (describing gym-goers who grunt loudly or draw attention to themselves while working out) and gymtimidation (intimidation in fitness spaces). While researchers had explored the idea of fitness intimidation since the late 1980s, this was the first time the word itself really took hold in the public conversation. People could certainly relate.

Soon after arriving to the College of Charleston, Maren Stroup experienced gymtimidation firsthand. A former competitive gymnast, she wanted to continue training after high school but initially felt intimidated going to the gym alone.

“One day, I made myself go alone,” she says. “I realized the gym is a social space, and many people are focused on themselves or feeling intimidated, too.”

That realization stayed with her. When the public health major began brainstorming research topics for her Honors bachelor’s essay, she kept returning to the question of why gymtimidation persists, especially among women.

“There was already strong research recognizing gymtimidation and its link to reduced gym participation, but I was surprised by the lack of broader public health attention to the issue,” says the Honors College graduate who received both the Merit Scholarship and CofC Academic Scholarship throughout her time at the College, as well as a Center for International Studies Scholarship for her fall 2024 study abroad and the Department of French, Francophone, and Italian Studies Huguenot Endowed Scholarship for the 2025–26 academic year. “I was also excited by how many people across disciplines connected with the research.”

Guided by Shaon Lahiri, assistant professor of public health sciences, Stroup explored how people experience the gym as a social environment. Her research examined two behaviors commonly associated with intimidation in fitness spaces: excessively loud grunting and monopolizing multiple machines. Supported by a Major Academic Year Support (MAYS) grant, her work was presented at the College’s EXPO and at the Feminism in Motion conference.

“Dr. Lahiri helped me turn what started as a broad curiosity about the gym as a social space and its connection to public health into a well-designed study,” says Stroup, who plans to continue collaborating with Lahiri to refine the research for submission to peer-reviewed journals. “His expertise in social norms helped transform my interests into measurable outcomes, and I learned so much from him about the research process overall.”

Her work aligns closely with her long-term goals of addressing barriers to health and advancing equity on a global scale.

“My goal is to pursue a career combating health inequities, particularly those tied to gender and global access to care,” she says. “This research was my first step in putting that goal into practice.”

Stroup will soon begin a yearlong Alumni Fellowship at the Institute for American Universities in Aix-en-Provence, France. Afterward, she will pursue graduate studies in global health or public health administration, combining her interests in public health, cultural competence and the French language.

Preparing the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders

As these graduates begin the next chapter of their journeys, their stories reflect the mission of the College of Charleston School of Health Sciences: preparing compassionate, innovative and service-driven leaders ready to improve lives and strengthen communities.

Through research, experiential learning and mentorship, the school continues to empower students to turn their passion for health and wellness into meaningful careers that will shape the future of healthcare for generations to come.