Quarterly Update – Winter 2026

The latest news about ExecHPM students, faculty, and alumni.

A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

I’d like to take this moment to wish everyone a happy new year. It can be easy to be overwhelmed with everything going on in the world, so it is a great honor to recognize our faculty, staff, students, and alumni, as well as our greater public health community, making a difference in the lives of so many. I am grateful for this UCLA community and am looking forward to a brand-new year of ExecHPM alumni continuing their professional journeys and new students embarking on their UCLA graduate paths. 

Fall Quarter marked a momentous occasion for many students across both programs. Five students just completed their studies for their MHA degrees and our second year EMPH students completed a major milestone in the program -- their consulting presentations during Session 7. We also sat down with MHA students Christina Kenoski and Angela Savelli about their capstone projects, so don’t miss it. I am continually inspired by our students. 

We are happy to announce the launch of the ExecHPM Mentorship Program. Based on areas of interest and expertise, we’ve paired students with graduates and have invited all mentors and mentees to attend the Farewell Reception during MHA Immersion on February 28th. 

Modeled after the MHA Student Experience, the much-anticipated EMPH Student Experience section is now live on our website, featuring video interviews with Pam Lowney, Benjamin Olmedo, Batstone Raja, and Amy Truong (all EMPH Class of 2023). 

A special note to alumni who wish to get more involved: We are seeking in-person guest speakers for our professional development sessions as well as judges for the MHA case competition and the EMPH business plan competition. Please reach out to me for more information. 

Be sure to check the Important Dates section below for upcoming info sessions and priority review deadlines. I also encourage you to follow our page on LinkedIn and you’ll hear from us again in the spring. 

I hope everyone has a productive Winter Quarter. 

All my best,

Kyle Sullivan, MSW 

Executive Director, Executive Programs in HPM

IMPORTANT DATES

Info Sessions

Please spread the word about our upcoming online Info Sessions. It’s a great opportunity for interested applicants to learn about our programs in a live Q&A webinar that covers program curriculum, admissions requirements, and application materials.

EMPH Info Sessions:

January 21, 12pm PT; February 12, 5pm PT; March 11, 12pm PT;

April 8, 5pm PT

REGISTER

MHA Info Session:

January 22, 12pm PT; April 21, 12pm PT
REGISTER

EMPH Priority Review of Applications Deadline:

February 1, 2026

Those who submit their EMPH application by February 1st will receive priority consideration for scholarships and a place in our Fall 2026 Cohort. 

We will continue to review applications on the first of each month through July or until the cohort is full.

Start your application on the UCLA Grad Portal. 

EMPH Winter Quarter 2026:

Classes began Friday, December 5, 2025

MHA Winter Quarter 2026:

Classes began Monday, January 5, 2026

MHA Winter Quarter 2026 Immersion:
Thursday, February 26 – Saturday, February 28, 2026

Reminder: MHA Immersion I and II are required courses in the curriculum. You must enroll in the course to participate.

MHA Spring Quarter 2026:
Application Deadline is
Tuesday, February 17, 2026. APPLY NOW

Instruction begins Monday, March 30, 2026

Paul Torrens Health Forum: February 25, 2026

Please join MHA Program Director and UCLA Center for Healthcare Management Director Dr. Laura Erskine for the next Paul Torrens Health Forum, “Disruption: The Reshaping of American Healthcare” and a light networking reception on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 5:30 PM, at the Tamkin Auditorium*, located in the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Featured Speakers:
Omkar Kulkarni, MPH, Vice President and Chief Transformation & Digital Officer, CHLA
Marschall Runge, MD, PhD, Former CEO, Michigan Medicine 

REGISTER

*This is an in-person event. Recordings are available several days after the event on UCLA Fielding’s YouTube page. 

FACULTY

Executive HPM draws on the distinguished faculty, programs, and academics of the nationally renowned UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Courses are taught by leading practitioners and researchers in the field of public health, health policy, and healthcare management, as well as faculty from UCLA’s other graduate schools and management-related fields. Their expertise spans clinical practice, applied research, policy analysis, entrepreneurship, and consultation at the local, national, and international level. 

Faculty Spotlight: Highlighting New Publications from Dr. Isomi Miake-Lye

EMPH - WINTER QUARTER 2026  

EMPH First Year 

Martin Lee, PhD: Introduction to Biostatistics (BIOS 201A) 
Jonathan Freedman, MSPH: Health Reform: Policy, Research, and Implementation Issues (HPM 280) 

Yvette Holguin, MBA: Health Services Organization and Management Theory (HPM 234) 

EMPH Second Year 
Julie Elginer, DrPH, MBA: Healthcare Marketing (HPM 445) 
Leah Vriesman, PhD, MHA, MBA: Healthcare Strategy (HPM 433) 
Avram Kaplan, MPH: Integrated Health Systems (HPM 442) 

MHA – WINTER QUARTER 2026 

Shira Shafir, PhD, MPH: Fundamentals of Public Health (PUBHLT 201) 

Dhruv Khurana, PhD: Microeconomic Theory in the Health Sector (HLTADM 411) 

Burt Cowgill, PhD: Healthcare Organization & Financing (HLTADM 401) 

Martin Lee, PhD: Statistics for Health Management Decision-Making (HLTH 412) 

Nahal Sabrkhani, MPH: Management & Organizational Behavior in Health Systems (HLTADM 402) 

Sandra Potthoff, PhD: Healthcare Operations Management (HLTADM 413) 

Jean Balgrosky, PhD: Healthcare Information Systems & Technology (HLTADM 403) 

Mike Galper, MPH, CPA: Healthcare Financial Accounting (HLTADM 414) 

Linda Horner, MBA: Healthcare Strategy (HLTADM 404) 

April Kelly, Ed.D., RN, MAOM/MHA: Healthcare Financial Management (HLTADM 415) 

Lindsay Williams, PhD, RN: Leadership & Ethics (HLTADM 405) 

Brandy Bryant, DrPH, MPH: Quality Improvement & Performance Excellence (HLTADM 416) 

Hannah Reischl, MPH: Data Analytics & Visualization (HLTADM 417) 

Seth Lake, MPH: Capstone Project (HLTADM 400) 

Jun Chu, PhD: Health Reform - Policy & Implementation (HLTADM 418) 

Brenda Freshman, PhD: Human Resources Management (HLTADM 408)

EXECUTIVE MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH (EMPH) PROGRAM

EMPH Program Director: Dr. Isomi Miake-Lye 

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health's Executive MPH (EMPH) is a two-year graduate degree program. Students attend classes twice a month on Friday and Saturday, in person on the UCLA campus. Tailored for professionals invested in their careers, the EMPH program provides students the opportunity to work full-time while pursuing a rigorous graduate program. 

Upon completion of the program, graduates are conferred a fully accredited Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with an emphasis in Health Policy and Management.

Introducing the EMPH Classes of 2026 and 2027

EMPH Capstone Applied Consulting Projects: Class of 2026

MASTER OF HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION (MHA)

MHA Program Director: Dr. Laura Erskine 

UCLA's online MHA is a flexible graduate degree program. Graduates are conferred a fully accredited Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) degree. Featuring two on-campus immersions and a capstone project, this flexible program offers most course content asynchronously, with the freedom to adjust the number of courses taken each quarter. 

Congratulations, MHA Fall Quarter 2025 Graduates

The following students completed their coursework on December 12, 2025, for their MHA degrees: Damicela Iraheta, MHA, Christina Kenoski, MHA, Subashini Maloney, MHA, Brandon Nan, MHA, and Yijia Wang, MHA. Congratulations and we look forward to celebrating with you at UCLA Commencement in June! 

Welcome, New Winter Quarter 2026 MHA Candidates

One of the highlights of UCLA’s online MHA Program is that students can begin their graduate studies any quarter throughout the year. Congratulations to the following MHA candidates who were recently admitted into the program and began classes this Winter Quarter on January 5th: Paul Asobo, Jenna Baza, Jade Bermudez, Laura D'Angelo, Christopher Fonesca, Jennifer Jones, Christina Kasendorf, David Kim, Daria Kovalev, Tiffany Liu, Shu-Ping Lu, Mahenaz Mahida, Marianna Manukyan, Cynthia Rios, Anmol Sandhar, Joshua Santos, Maria Segura Kwon, Chuhan Sun, Ashley Zalewski, and Matthew Zavoral. 

We look forward to welcoming you to campus at an upcoming Immersion. 

MHA New Student Scholarship Recipient: Mahenaz Mahida

MHA Candidate Angela Savelli Tackles Real-World Healthcare Challenges in Diabetes Care

Christina Kenoski’s UCLA MHA Capstone on AI in Quality Management

Highlights From Fall 2025 MHA Immersion + Photo Gallery

ALUMNI UPDATES

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Executive Programs in Health Policy and Management Alumni Network includes over 700 professionals committed to making a difference in the field of public health. Nothing brings us more joy than sharing your important work with our community.

EMPH

Katrina Eagilen, DDS, MPH (EMPH '22) has been promoted to Chief Oral Health Access Officer focusing on Population Health of CA DMC Members at DentaQuest, a SunLife Company. 

Gladys Espinoza, MPH (EMPH '22) is now a Manager at Providence. 

Lance Brett Hall, MPH (EMPH '22) has started his PhD in Health Systems and Services at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). 

Kayla Kilani, MPH, RN (EMPH '20) has joined the PRE-hospital Stroke Treatment Organization (PRESTO) Board of Directors in the Nursing specialty seat. 

Cozzette Lyons-Jones, MD, MPH (EMPH '18) has started the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) Healthcare Leadership Program. 

Melinda Martinez, MPH, RN (EMPH '22) is now the Manager of Clinical Operations at Cedars-Sinai. 

Graciela Medina, MPH (EMPH ‘24) is now the Manager of Accreditation and Licensure at Sutter Health CPMC, San Francisco. 

Roya Mirilavassani, MPH (EMPH ‘20) is now the Senior People & Culture Business Partner at Genentech. 

Bianca Natt, MPH (EMPH '22) is now the Program Director of Strategic Projects at Johns Hopkins Medicine. 

Eunice Ninet, MPH (EMPH ‘24) is now the Associate Director of Care Management at Cedars-Sinai. 

Meena Pinnamaneni, MPH (EMPH ‘23) is now the Sr. Director of Product Management, Optum Insight at UnitedHealth Group. 

Candice Sakellariou, MPH (EMPH '22) is now a Medical Billing Instructor at American Career College. 

Alicia Shewmaker, MPH (EMPH '16) is now a Senior Manager of Project and Process Management at McKesson. 

Jessica Thies, MPH, RN (EMPH '22) is now a Regional Nursing Director at City of Hope. 

Kunal Wahi, MPH (EMPH '22) is now the Quality and Patient Safety Management and Program Analyst at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Kevin Wichaya, MPH (EMPH '22) is now the Chief of Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

MHA

Alexandra Agate (MHA Candidate) is now the Client Success Manager at Maven Clinic. 

Debbie Aguilera, MHA, RN (MHA ‘25) has been accepted to Loma Linda University School of Nursing for the Doctorate Nursing Program, leadership. 

Todd Alba (MHA Candidate) is now the Foreign Engagements Coordinator at SAIC. 

Neil Azul, PharmD (MHA Candidate) is now a Pharmacist at Advantage Healthcare Services. 

Robin Bareng, MD (MHA Candidate) has become a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). 

Anam Charania (MHA Candidate) is now an Oncology Nurse Navigator with Lantern. 

Grace Cuchilla (MHA Candidate) is now in Revenue Operations at Subject. 

Marjan Dehghanian (MHA Candidate) is now the Assistant to the Chair at UC Riverside School of Medicine. 

Matthew Ennen, CPA (MHA Candidate) is now the Senior Vice President of Finance & Business Development at Ensemble Health Partners. 

Gavin Feinfield, MHA (MHA ‘23) is now an Account Executive at Orsini - Rare Disease Pharmacy Solutions. 

Syed Haris Huda, MD (MHA Candidate) is now an Examiner for the MRCPH Clinical Exam at Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). 

Noa Katz Hennessy, MHA (MHA ‘23) is now a Program Specialist at Alameda County Social Services Agency. 

Damicela Iraheta, MHA (MHA ‘26) has been promoted to Program Operations Specialist at UCLA Health. 

Portia Jones, MBA (MHA Candidate) is now a Regional Senior Manager at Kaiser Permanente. 

Racquel Laxamana, MHA (MHA ‘23) was promoted to Clinical Systems Manager at Private Medical. 

Lucia Montiano (MHA Candidate) is now a Project Odyssey Specialist at Wounded Warrior Project. 

Ruben Muñoz (MHA Candidate) has started a new position as Program Manager at Hishouse. 

B. Tim Murphy (MHA Candidate) is now the Vice President at Treasurer of Finance at Sharp HealthCare.

Gabriel Quinn (MHA Candidate) was promoted to Business Development and Strategy Analyst II at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. 

Summer Sanchez (MHA Candidate) is now a Senior Medical Office Representative at Providence. 

Angela Savelli (MHA Candidate) is now the Assistant Director of Rehabilitation at Kaiser Permanente. 

Christopher Sherwood, MHA (MHA ‘23) was promoted to Director of Outreach and Enrollment at California Autism Center. 

Mathew Siedhoff, MD (MHA Candidate) founded his gynecologic surgery practice in Beverly Hills, California. 

Please notify us of your professional updates for an opportunity to be featured. Email us at exechpm@ucla.edu or tag us on LinkedIn. 

The University of California is the best public university in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. UCLA is in the top 10 for best schools of public health and also ranked in the top 10 for Health Policy and Management.   

The world-renowned UCLA Fielding School of Public Health harnesses the resources and expertise of a top-ranked U.S. public university to develop proactive leaders who will shape the future of healthcare.  

Housed within the Fielding School, the Executive Programs Office in the Health Policy and Management Department offers two executive degree programs designed for working professionals: Executive Master of Public Health (EMPH) and Online Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA). 

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