This summer, USF’s College of Public Health celebrates a new class of changemakers with 331 graduates who are ready to protect and improve the health of communities near and far.
Graduates this summer bring with them a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Most, 284 students, call Florida home, while 50 hail from out of state and 13 represent international communities, underscoring the global reach and impact of public health education at USF.
(From left to right) Dr. Janice Zigbor, MPH graduate Leomar White and Dean Sten Vermund at the COPH's Graduate Graduation Celebration on Aug. 8. (Photo by Caitlin Keough)
Among this graduating class are seven doctoral students, earning their PhD or DrPH, who are joined by 60 master’s students, earning degrees in public health (MPH), health administration (MHA), and public health science (MSPH), each ready to take on roles across a wide range of health-focused fields.
The largest group, 264 undergraduates, represent the next generation of health professionals, stepping boldly into a world that needs their energy, curiosity and commitment.
On August 8, the COPH welcomed graduate-level students to a special ceremony and reception at the college. The following morning, doctoral and graduate degree recipients celebrated their milestone by walking across the stage at the Yuengling Center for graduation, followed by undergraduate students in the afternoon.
As these graduates cross the stage and step into the next chapter, they join a powerful network of COPH alumni filled with public health professionals working in every corner of the world to advance the public’s health and improve lives. The COPH community is proud to welcome them as the newest members of its growing alumni family.
Here are some of the stories from the Class of 2025:
Gennaro “Rino” Saliceto, MSPH in environmental & occupational health (Photo courtesy of Saliceto)
After serving as a logistics officer in the Italian military, Gennaro “Rino” Saliceto discovered a passion for safety, emergency response and public service. These interests naturally led him to public health. Now, he’s graduating with a MSPH in environmental and occupational health from the COPH.
Saliceto has worked at USF’s Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) since 2017. He began taking public health courses to enhance his work and soon realized he could apply them toward a degree.
“Transportation is more than mobility, it’s a social determinant of health,” he said.
One of his proudest achievements was researching odor issues impacting a St. Petersburg community. His work helped spark media coverage and led to EPA involvement and local air quality monitoring.
“It showed me how research can lead to real change,” he said.
Despite balancing full-time work and graduate school, Saliceto stayed focused on his goal of serving communities.
“There were challenges, but I never lost sight of why I started,” he said.
Post-graduation, Saliceto plans to continue his work at CUTR and apply to a PhD program to deepen his research and impact in public health. “This is just the beginning,” he said.
Zachary Sanders, MPH (Photo courtesy of Sanders)
After earning his undergraduate degree in public health at the COPH, Zachary Sanders stayed the course, pursuing a MPH with a concentration in applied biostatistics.
“I was first introduced to public health during my undergraduate studies through a series of courses that focused on health disparities, epidemiology and community health,” he said. “These classes opened my eyes to the many factors that influence health beyond individual choices.”
Sanders transferred to USF through the FUSE program after attending St. Petersburg College.
“USF is known for its public health program as it’s the biggest one in the state,” he explained. “So, it made sense to come here for public health.”
During his time at the COPH, Sanders led a comprehensive student-driven research project on e-cigarette use among college students, which included a quantitative survey, focus groups and in-depth interviews.
“It fostered student leadership and generated actionable insights for implementing our social marketing initiative,” he said.
When a key staff member had to step away from the project, Sanders and his peers took the reins.
“Overcoming this challenge taught me a lot about leadership, adaptability and teamwork, and ultimately made our project much stronger,” he said.
Now graduating, Sanders will continue his work as a full-time research assistant at the Center for Social Marketing.
“Being able to continue our work impacting college students, and hopefully this year implementing an intervention,” is what excites him most he said. “Going into research I will be applying what I learned here every day as we write papers, create interventions and analyze data that we collect.”
Paige Lake, PhD (Photo courtesy of Lake)
After earning her bachelor’s in psychology from USF in 2014, Paige Lake began working at Moffitt Cancer Center, where she discovered her passion for behavioral oncology. That experience led her to pursue a MPH (2018), a graduate certificate in applied biostatistics (2019) and now a PhD in community and family health from the COPH.
During her doctoral studies, Lake led a dissertation project she’s proud to publish and also earned a national award for her first conference presentation and published several first-author manuscripts through her research coordinator role at Moffitt.
Lake will continue her work at Moffitt in a postdoctoral fellowship in behavioral oncology, focusing on adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients.
“My primary interests are in understanding unique issues AYA patients experience such as diminished quality of life and potential infertility due to certain cancer treatments,” she said.
Her long-term goal is to become an independent investigator leading studies that improve care, outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients.
“Pursuing a PhD at USF was the perfect path for me,” she said. “I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with such great faculty who I learned so much from.”
Charbel Khalil, DrPH (Photo courtesy of Khalil)
Charbel Khalil’s journey into public health began with his role as a chemist II at the Connecticut State Public Health Laboratory, where he conducted newborn screening and developed a deep appreciation for how accurate lab data drives policy and protects communities.
Now earning his DrPH in clinical laboratory sciences and practice from the COPH—the only program of its kind in the nation—Khalil becomes the first student to graduate fully funded by Association of Public Health Laboratories funds. His experience at USF combined specialized training with real-world application, preparing him to lead in the critical intersection of laboratory science and public health.
During his time as a doctoral student, Khalil contributed to two research projects addressing congenital cytomegalovirus detection and opioid wastewater surveillance.
“These experiences enhanced my technical expertise and strengthened my commitment to improving population health through evidence-based strategies,” he said.
Khalil currently serves as a CLIA laboratory inspector for the State of Connecticut, ensuring clinical labs maintain regulatory compliance across a range of specialties.
“What I love most is the opportunity to visit a wide variety of labs and build meaningful connections with professionals across the state,” he said.
Next, Khalil plans to sit for the High Complexity Laboratory Director certification exam and hopes to become a laboratory director, applying his clinical and public health expertise to enhance lab performance and contribute to national efforts in disease surveillance and health protection.