Holding considerable expertise in infectious disease epidemiology and social epidemiology, Stephanie D. Kruchten, MPH, has been a program administrator leading a federally funded program at the Westchester County Department of Health since 2021. Concurrently, she teaches epidemiology as an adjunct professor at Mercy College to both undergraduate and graduate students. Previously, she excelled as a level three evaluation specialist for COVID-19 with Health Research Inc. between 2020 and 2021, and a research assistant at the Mary Amelia Center for Women’s Health Equity Research since 2018.
During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, her primary work was on compiling weekly reports of COVID-19 rates in Westchester County and reports on vaccination rates and breakthrough cases; expanding educational outreach and meeting with universities, colleges, churches and community organizations; monitoring case investigations; and training case investigators. Using the information gathered, her and a colleague sought funding to develop a COVID-19 health literacy program, “Know Better, Live Better.” Prior to these roles, she was an epidemiologist with the Calvert County Health Department in Maryland from 2015 to 2018, where she earned an award for Best Collaboration after only a few months in the position. Furthermore, she has been active as a CPH item writer for the National Board of Public Health Examiners since 2014.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Kruchten was an analyst for Public Health and Infectious Diseases Computational and Operations Research from 2011 to 2013 and a research, lab and office assistant at Johns Hopkins University from 2009 to 2011. She began her career as a tutor in 2002, a position she continued until 2010, and also volunteered with the Greenwich Hospital from 2002 to 2003 and acted as a student fundraiser for Johns Hopkins University in 2007. In order to keep abreast of developments in her field, she maintains professional affiliation with the American Public Health Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the DrPH Coalition, the American Evaluation Association and the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association.
Motivated throughout her career and education by her desire to help others, Ms. Kruchten was drawn to the field of public health because she wanted to be able to help as broad a population as possible. She first earned a Bachelor of Arts in public health from the Johns Hopkins University in 2011 before joining the University of Pittsburgh, where she obtained a global health certificate and a Master of Public Health in 2013. Trained in CERT and ICS-100 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, she has also been certified in public health through the National Board of Public Health Examiners and has received a graduate certificate in field epidemiology through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Throughout her career Ms. Kruchten has made a name for herself as someone who has always been devoted to public health. Many people come to public health after starting in other fields, but she has been doing work on the ground since the very beginning of her education. She hopes to continue on in her field for many years to come and, since 2018, has been working toward a Doctor of Public Health in global community health and behavioral sciences at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
In addition to her primary responsibilities, Ms. Kruchten has contributed her time and skills to multiple volunteer organizations, such as Soldiers’ Angels and the Humane Society. Attributing much of her success to her parents, Dale Kruchten and Kelly Galanopoulos, and her grandparents, who instilled in her a passion for learning, Ms. Kruchten hopes to leave a legacy as a dedicated professional who will pursue her goals to their fullest extent.