Hannah Volkman '14: The Public Health Expert

Hannah Volkman ’14 is an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When she accepted her new job and moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in January, she couldn’t have known what would happen next. “Just about when I settled in, the quarantine began and my professional and personal life transformed overnight,” said Volkman. “I have been involved in many outbreaks in the past and the work is always so collaborative and interactive, so it feels very different to be working on such a consequential pandemic while we are all remote.”

She is contributing to epidemiologic surveillance of trends in respiratory illnesses and contact tracing process development. This, all while remaining focused on her original assignment to prevent and control dengue and other mosquito-borne illnesses as they transition into Puerto Rico’s rainy season.

“I feel fortunate to contribute to pandemic response, supporting the broad range of folks actively working in public health, while also supporting the truly essential workers in warehouses, factories, fields and grocery stores,” said Volkman.