The Falk College and Syracuse University Career Services present The Alumni Speaker Series: Community Health and Wellness on March 3, 2020, from 4 to 5 p.m. in Grant Auditorium, followed by a networking reception with refreshments from 5 to 7 p.m. The panel discussion will focus on trends in community health and wellness. The topics will be of particular interest to students seeking internships or careers in nonprofit management, mental health counseling, public health education and policy, nutrition, food systems and policy, social justice, and higher education access.
This event is the first of a series of Falk College alumni panels, which bring alumni back to campus to discuss current industry trends of interest to Falk students and share valuable career experiences and insights.
“For students, this is an exceptional opportunity to learn more about careers that help improve the quality of life for communities across the country,” says David Sly, director of Falk College career services. “It is also a chance to get inspired about the many ways to make a difference and hear how alumni have forged nonlinear yet successful career paths in this area.”
The 2020 panel will include five Falk College alumni:
Samuel Boadu Jr. ’15
Samuel Boadu Jr. is the division administrator for pulmonary and critical care medicine and sleep medicine at Johns Hopkins University. His interests lie within the realms of community development, educational opportunity, cultural competency and sensitivity, as well as local and international healthcare. He graduated from Syracuse University with a dual bachelor of science degree in biology and public health and holds a dual master of public health and health policy and management and global health degree from Boston University.
Emily Danckers ’15
Emily Danckers graduated from Syracuse University in 2015 with a major in nutrition and a minor in exercise science. Since graduating in 2017 from Ohio State University with a master of science degree in sport nutrition, she has worked for two Chicago Cubs minor league teams as a sports nutritionist and with the University of Illinois as a team sports dietitian with the men’s and women’s basketball, softball, women’s soccer and women’s golf teams.
Payal Gupta-Beam G’91
Currently a vice president for Mental Health Systems, a California non-profit, Syracuse University social work alumna Payal Gupta-Beam has served children, adults and communities impacted by behavioral health disorders. Passionate about improving access to healthcare, Gupta-Beam works across disciplines with community partners. Her career has included working with local colleges and universities, food banks, law enforcement, hospitals, animal shelters, transportation, advocacy groups and all aspects of healthcare providers in an effort to improve the community she serves.
Suzanne Kelley G’92
After working as a family counselor and with homeless and runaway youth for several years, Syracuse University social work alumna Suzanne Kelley transitioned into a 20-year, successful career in public health and chronic disease prevention. Suzanne currently manages the Healthy Community Design Program for the Vermont Department of Health and manages Vermont’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed), a USDA obesity prevention program for people who are eligible to receive SNAP benefits.
Ahmeed Turner G’08
As a former counselor, violence prevention educator, career transition specialist, and therapist, Ahmeed Turner has extensive experience in assessing needs and developing programming and response plans to meet those needs, along with his community outreach and background as an educator. Ahmeed currently serves as the Syracuse chapter executive director of Say Yes to Education. He completed his master’s degree in marriage and family therapy at Syracuse University and holds a master’s of non-profit administration from the University of Notre Dame.
American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available for the event. For more information or to request additional accommodations, please contact Falk Career Services at falkcareers@syr.edu or 315.443.3144.
For Syracuse University students, registration is appreciated, though not required, through Handshake. For faculty, staff and community attendees, please RSVP to falkcareers@syr.edu.
