Media and Communication Studies

Rachel Brown '15
Rachel Brown ’15

Rachel Brown ’15

Clinical Research Coordinator
PolicyLab, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Ursinus Major: BA Media & Communications
Advanced Degree: Master of Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in Community Health & Prevention, Drexel University

After graduating from Ursinus, I worked in two communications roles: first promoting economic and housing equality research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and then at a small communications firm serving exclusively academic, healthcare and nonprofit clients. Through both of these roles, I developed a deep appreciation for the power of translational research as a driver of meaningful policy change that yields real improvements in the lives of Philadelphia area families. These experiences, coupled with my liberal arts education from Ursinus that prepared me to feel comfortable in a range of professional fields, sparked my decision to go to graduate school to get my Master in Public Health degree from Drexel University, where I was an Urban Health Collaborative Research Fellow. After graduating I landed a Clinical Research Coordinator position with PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a research center focused on achieving optimal child health and well-being by informing program and policy changes through interdisciplinary research. In this role, I manage a mixed-methods research portfolio aimed at reducing health disparities by addressing unmet social need among children and their families.