Samantha Kloft
South Hadley,MA
Summary
Passionate Ph.D. student dedicated to advancing health equity through impactful research in policy development and implementation. Self-motivated and resourceful, possessing excellent communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Massachusetts Amherst
05.2023 - Current
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to achieve project milestones.
- Assist in data collection and analysis via quantitative and qualitative methods.
- Elevate research quality through comprehensive literature reviews.
- Create reports, communicating research findings to diverse audiences.
Teaching Associate
University of Massachusetts Amherst
05.2023 - Current
- Facilitate first year seminar courses for approximately 60 students per semester.
- Collaborate on interdisciplinary curriculum for comprehensive education.
- Adapt teaching methods for diverse learning styles and student needs.
- Integrate real-world examples for meaningful and relevant lessons.
- Host office hours on a weekly basis to assist students outside the classroom.
Graduate Teaching Assistant
University of Massachusetts Amherst
09.2022 - 05.2023
- Collaborated with fellow teaching assistants to provide student support.
- Assisted in grading exams and papers, maintaining accurate student records.
- Independently led weekly discussions for students to review course material.
- Hosted office hours on a weekly basis to assist students outside the classroom.
Interim Executive Health Director
Dubuque County Health Department
01.2022 - 08.2022
- Directed department staff and maintained daily operations as Assistant Director.
- Managed annual department budget and multiple county-wide grant programs.
- Acted as County's key contact for public health preparedness and response.
- Served on the County's Incident Management Team responding to COVID-19.
- Conducted weekly media interviews for COVID-19 health communication.
- Contributed to office restructuring and participated in hiring the future Executive Health Director with the Dubuque County Board of Health.
Assistant Health Director
Dubuque County Health Department
09.2020 - 01.2022
- Assisted with daily departmental tasks, including water testing and analysis.
- Managed county-wide grants and assisted in new applications.
- Aided in planning and implementing a county-wide COVID-19 vaccination plan.
- Contributed to planning, organizing, and evaluating COVID-19 mitigation.
- Acted as secretary to the County's Board of Health.
- Served as liaison to the County's Food Policy Council as well as the Equity Immersion Committee.
Peace Corps Volunteer
United States Peace Corps
10.2018 - 03.2020
- Enhanced Khmer students' English proficiency with student-centered teaching.
- Led students in developing leadership skills in diverse extracurriculars.
- Collaborated with Khmer counterparts to enhance leadership and teaching skills.
- Conducted needs assessments, prioritizing and addressing concerns in schools.
- Teamed with NGOs for public health workshops for students and teachers.
- Secured and managed three grant projects alongside a Khmer counterpart.
Emergency Preparedness Intern
City Of Dubuque Health Services
02.2016 - 10.2018
- Maintained a NIMS-compliant, city-wide inventory for emergency response.
- Conducted data entry, analysis, and reported on emergency preparedness activities.
AmeriCorps Volunteer
Johnson County Social Services
11.2016 - 11.2017
- Led volunteer recruitment to enhance community capacity in the Department.
- Executed and assessed 10 community events focusing on child abuse prevention.
- Collaborated on a 350-person community conference, "Eliminating Racial Bias."
- Improved social media outreach for the Department, maintaining the public calendar and various webpages.
Education
Ph.D. - Health Policy & Management
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA05.2026
Master of Arts - Public Health
The University of Iowa College of Public Health
Iowa City, IA05.2018
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA12.2015
Skills
- Project Management
- Course Materials Creation
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Quantitative and Qualitative analysis
- Windows and IOS Operating Systems
Research Presentations
- Trust in times of COVID-19: Examining How Trust and Related Constructs are Discussed & Prioritized by the US COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, 11/14/23, 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Atlanta, GA
Publications
- How do we Rebuild it? Examining the Salience of Trust during the 2021 United States’ COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force Discussions and Recommendations, Journal Article Under Review
- COVID-19 School Closures in Latin America: Untangling Approaches Impacting Student Wellbeing, Journal Article Under Review
Grant Management Experience
- Emergency Preparedness Region 7 Funds, Dubuque County Health Department $80,000.00
- Grants to Counties Water Well Program, Dubuque County Health Department $40,000.00
- A Library for Everyone, United States Peace Corps $3,374.00
- Kampong Thom Teacher Training, United States Peace Corps $2,507.00
- Write On! International Writing Competition, United States Peace Corps $1,695.00
Committee Experience
- Student Advisory Board Member, University of Massachusetts Amherst 11/23 - Current
- Peace Corps Small Grants Committee Chair, United States Peace Corps 3/19 - 3/20
Conference Participation
- Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA), Atlanta, GA 2023
- Youth Mental Health Roadmap for Western Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 2023
- Policy Action Institute, Washington, DC 2023
- Massachusetts Student Health Policy Forum, Boston, MA 2023
- National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Preparedness Summit, Atlanta, GA 2022
Timeline
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Massachusetts Amherst
05.2023 - Current
Teaching Associate
University of Massachusetts Amherst
05.2023 - Current
Graduate Teaching Assistant
University of Massachusetts Amherst
09.2022 - 05.2023
Interim Executive Health Director
Dubuque County Health Department
01.2022 - 08.2022
Assistant Health Director
Dubuque County Health Department
09.2020 - 01.2022
Peace Corps Volunteer
United States Peace Corps
10.2018 - 03.2020
AmeriCorps Volunteer
Johnson County Social Services
11.2016 - 11.2017
Emergency Preparedness Intern
City Of Dubuque Health Services
02.2016 - 10.2018
Ph.D. - Health Policy & Management
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Master of Arts - Public Health
The University of Iowa College of Public Health
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
The University of Iowa
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