If you are interested in joining the UC Merced Department of Public Health and/or working with me as a PhD student, please reach out and check out the Department's website for prospective students. 

Current PhD Students:

Arlo Liang (2025 - )	Arlo Liang joined the doctoral Program in Fall 2025. He earned a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree in Psychology from Fresno State, where he focused on group dynamics. Arlo served as a Research Data Analyst at Fresno State on an NSF-funded project, a Data Manager for a community-based nonprofit organization, and a Research Data Analyst Intern at the Central Valley Health Policy Institute, where he contributed to air-quality research. Arlo has a strong background in research, community engagement, and data analytics, and he is working to continue advanced research on air quality and its implications for public health.
Valerie Martinez, MSPH, PhD (2019-2025)	Valerie Martinez joined the doctoral program in the UC Merced Public Health program in Fall 2019 with a focus in epidemiology. She received her B.A.in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from UC Merced. Her research interests include examining the environmental determinants of pregnancy and child health. Her current projects include looking into environmental chemicals and infertility.
Sneha Ghimire, MSPH, PhD (2021-2026)	Sneha Ghimire joined the doctoral program in Public Health at UCM in Fall 2021. Prior to joining UCM, she obtained her undergraduate degree in Public Health from Pokhara University in Nepal (2018). She also worked as a research assistant and health data surveyor in organizations including the United Mission and InReach in Nepal. Her undergraduate research thesis focused on understanding knowledge, attitude, practice, and stigma among tuberculosis patients. Sneha’s current research interest is in epidemiology; she will be conducting her doctoral research in maternal and child health in relationship to exposures environmental hazards.