our alumni
Caila Vaughn, MPH, PhD
As a Buffalo native, Caila Vaughn was familiar with UB’s strong academic reputation and ability to reach others. When she was determining a graduate program to attend to pursue her interest in biology, medicine and disease, the choice was clear.
“I have witnessed how the UB community positively influences the entire region through all different areas of study, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” she said.
Vaughn enrolled in the MPH in epidemiology program “to more specifically study what factors influence diseases, and how diseases and exposures are distributed in the population.”
Coursework Complemented by Fieldwork
“This was an exceptional graduate program,” she said. “All of the professors are experts in their particular fields and you can see that in the research they do and the papers they publish. My favorite aspect of the program was the broad range of requirements to complete the degree. In addition to coursework that covered all spectrum of disease – infectious, chronic, addiction, etc. – we had to complete a training placement in the field where we gained experience and produce an integrative project detailing what we had learned.”
Vaughn was so happy with her experience at UB that she chose to stay—she is now enrolled in the PhD program in epidemiology.