Alumni Spotlight: UAA grad shares his journey to becoming an Epidemiologist

by Chynna Lockett  |   

When Dr. Fabrice Evengue left his Navy career and moved to Alaska in 2009, he wanted to continue his education. The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) stood out.

“I had heard everything good about the university, the faculty, the curriculum that was offered. I figured I’ll give it a try.” 

He received a Bachelor of Human Services then continued into the Master of Public Health in Public Health Practice program. 

“It was a good fit for my aspirations and also for my background, having grown up with both my parents as nurses. I got to see firsthand how they took care of people with various illnesses.”

At UAA, Evengue was able to tailor his curriculum to his interests, laying the foundation for his career. For him, that included a practicum placement with the Alaska’s Department of Health in the Section of Epidemiology.

“I got to work with public health professionals. They taught me a lot of what it is to be in the sector of epidemiology, what it was to be in public health.” 

After graduating from UAA, Evengue stayed with the State of Alaska for five years, working in the Division of Behavioral Health. He went on to earn a Doctor of Health Sciences from the University of Bridgeport. He also studied public policy at Harvard University and earned a Graduate Certificate. 

Evengue used his robust education to become an Epidemiologist. “I investigate patterns and causes of disease and injury,” he said. “The core courses that I got from my public health education at UAA were very helpful.” 

He currently works for the Department of Defence within the Global Respiratory Pathogen Surveillance Program. Evengue encourages others thinking about a career in public health to go for it. 

“The world has just gotten over a Pandemic and we saw how the health care system worked hard to make sure we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. For anyone considering getting into Public Health, it’s a great opportunity.” 

UAA’s Division of Population Health Sciences offers a bachelor’s and master’s program to help health care professionals achieve their goals. 

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