2025 Archer Fellows Spend the Summer in the Heart of U.S. Policy

The Graduate Archer Fellowship Program offers outstanding graduate students from across the University of Texas System a unique opportunity to live, learn, and work in Washington, DC. This summer, several UTHealth Houston School of Public Health students were selected to  gain firsthand experience in the policymaking process, working directly with federal government offices and departments. 

Through immersive internships with congressional offices, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and think tanks, Archer Fellows contribute to meaningful policy work while expanding their knowledge and experience of national and global issues. The fellowship program combines academic coursework with  hands-on experience, equipping students with the skills to influence change and become leaders in their fields. 

The following students from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health were selected for the 2025 Archer Fellowship: 

Cathryn Bigham 

Cathryn Bigham, a second-year dual degree MD/MPH student with McGovern Medical School, spends her summer semester with the National Center for Health Research. Learning under a health policy think tank will aid Bigham’s passion to improve health outcomes through evidence-based advocacy. 

“I chose public health for the opportunity to help prevent disease, not only treat it. Particularly, I am interested in environmental and occupational health issues,” said Bigham. “Access to fresh food, green spaces, clean air, and clean water is incredibly important for a person’s development and in preventing chronic disease.”  

For Bigham, the Archer fellowship opportunity has offered her several ways to expand her academic experience and the capital. “Being immersed in DC has been my favorite part of this fellowship. I enjoy getting to actively take part in health policy while learning about it and being so near the Capitol building, monuments, and Smithsonian museums.” 

This hands-on opportunity has helped her see the connection between public health research, medical care, and the legislative process, strengthening her commitment to a career at the intersection of medicine and policy. 

Krishna Kolaparthi 

Krishna Kolaparthi, second-year MD/MPH student with McGovern Medical School, is engaging with Trust for America’s Health, a non-profit, non-partisan public health policy, research, and advocacy organization, this summer.  Kolaparthi is eager to contribute to developing health programs to sustain the population. He was first inspired to study both medicine and public health while working at a free clinic in Texas, where he recognized the need and ways to better deliver support and care to communities.  

“Policy is one of the most important ways to serve one's community. Patients face numerous challenges and circumstances daily, and it is essential for us as professionals to not only acknowledge these problems but also facilitate the conditions and environment that promote health and prevent disease for our patients at a systems level,” said Kolaparthi. 

These next few months he’ll be actively working to develop solutions to challenges involving food insecurity, nutrition, chronic diseases, and more. Working in DC with policy and advocacy experts, Kolaparthi will learn about the many facets and actions that go into the creation of bills and policy.  

“I will have the opportunity to engage with national thought leaders, develop policy research-writing skills, and learn from a public health non-profit. I plan to take the lessons from this fellowship and guide policy development that benefits people in my community.” 

Francisca Centron Seguel 

Francisca Centron Seguel, MPH student in healthcare management and policy, is working with the Health Policy Working Group to deepen her understanding of strategic, evidence-based methods to improve healthcare. For students like Centron Seguel who strive to bring policy and people together, a summer internship with some of the nation’s leaders will allow her to do just that. “I knew this opportunity would be a key step in my career, helping me become a well-rounded, culturally competent professional — someone who not only understands the complex social and health issues affecting our communities, but also contributes meaningfully to solutions,” she shared, reflecting on the Archer Fellowship opportunity.  

“The program has expanded my thinking through thoughtful peer dialogue, engaging coursework, and an immersive internship in Washington, DC. Living, learning, and working in our nation’s capital has exposed me to the people and organizations actively shaping health policy, while surrounding me with passionate peers equally committed to making an impact on the issues that matter most to them,” Centron Seguel said. 

Mackenzie Joe 

Mackenzie Joe, an MD/MPH student with McGovern Medical School, is spending her summer alongside the Melanoma Research Foundation in Washington, DC. Through the support of the fellowship, Joe can combine her two interests in advocacy and health policy to target skin cancer awareness and sun safety amongst vulnerable populations such as people experiencing homelessness. 

“I’m most excited to learn and grow through my internship at the Melanoma Research Foundation. It’s been an incredible opportunity to meet with professionals and leaders across various fields here in Washington, DC, as I take an interdisciplinary approach to my education,” Joe shared. 

As a future physician, this experience as an Archer fellow will contribute to Joe’s training as she understands the broad impact of healthcare systems and the need to provide preventive and post-care services. “It’s been powerful to see how advocacy, public health, and clinical care intersect,” she stated. “Skin cancer is common, yet largely preventable through education and early detection — two public health strategies I care deeply about.” 

“I’m grateful for the chance to explore new perspectives beyond the classroom and clinic.” 

Nkemasom Nwadei 

Nkemasom Nwadei, MPH student in health promotion/ health education, is eager to learn more about the policymaking process under the Healthy Mind Foundation. For Nwadei, this aspect of public health is rooted in creating health promotion practices to boost our communities, crafting change one policy at a time. 

While completing her bachelor’s, she was heavily involved in researching prescription produce programs and school-based health programs. As a future public health leader, she hopes to combat food insecurity and promote food-as-medicine policies for vulnerable populations. By learning from leaders in food evidence research to improve population health, Nwadei is closer to raising awareness on the benefits of such programs by understanding the intricacies of health policy. 

“In this Health Working Group, we discuss how a policy is formulated and the steps it must go through before ultimately being passed into law,” said Nwadei. “This is relevant for public health because it emphasizes the importance and impact of health professionals staying aware of policies and advocating for patients and communities at large, to promote positive health outcomes.”