Renee Stanley, MPH, is a program manager for student services in the Department of Population and Public Health at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She oversees graduate-level programs in biostatistics, epidemiology, and health behavior research. This year marks her 10th year at USC. She was hired by the Student Health Center in 2014 and then joined the Keck School of Medicine in 2019. Read about her time here.
How did you become interested in public health science?
I became interested in academic health while interning as an undergraduate at the Cal State Long Beach Health Resource Center. Shortly thereafter, I graduated with a Bachelor of Health Science in Community Health and School Health. After starting work at the USC Student Health Center, I enrolled in the online Master of Public Health program in the College of Population and Public Health Sciences with the intention of continuing to work in the university’s health field. After graduating, I attended a seminar hosted by USC Student Health. The seminar brought together various USC campus partners to discuss student health. This led me to become interested in student affairs and supporting student health beyond the student health building. A position opened up in our department and I was really excited about the prospect of working where I graduated and being able to serve future population and public health professionals. It is very gratifying and important for me to support these students as an advisor and now as a program manager. One of my goals in my new role is to always consider student health in my student advising strategy.
Why did you choose to focus on student health?
When students come to campus, there are many things to think about. Time spent here can affect their mental, sexual and physical health. You need to consider their whole being, not just their academic performance. We then connect them with resources to ensure they experience success academically and beyond.
What do you want students to learn about health during their college years?
College is a great time to start practicing being proactive in your own health care. We have medical and mental health providers on campus who work directly with students and recognize that students may be accessing health care on their own for the first time without the assistance of a parent or guardian. I think this is a good time to get used to making your own appointments, asking follow-up questions to your healthcare provider, understanding your prescriptions, and getting familiar with your insurance plan and terminology. For international students, they may not be familiar with how the U.S. healthcare system works, which can present unique barriers and learning opportunities. With so many educational opportunities on campus, all students should utilize a variety of resources and seek help. Also, if you meet a provider that isn’t right for you, request to see another provider.
What are your primary responsibilities within the department?
As a program manager, I oversee the day-to-day operations of student services advisors and administrative assistants, and have regular contact with faculty. I am the main point of contact for funding for PhD students, advising them and supporting their admissions. One of my goals in this position is to improve the new student onboarding experience, give new students a sense of what their time here will be like, and help our staff navigate the various milestones of each program. It’s about providing clarity on how we can help them get through it.
Based on your experience advising graduate-level students, who is best suited to pursue a Ph.D.?
The average time it takes to obtain a doctoral degree is five years, so I think it’s important to have perseverance to overcome difficulties. By coming to our department, students will learn from top-notch faculty, so it is also important that they are flexible and open to learning new concepts and, in some cases, challenging previously learned ideas. I advise students to seek out groups and faculty who will support their research pursuits.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love working with students and hearing their feedback. I am committed to improving the student experience in our program, and I love hearing from students when they recognize improvements that will support their time here. I enjoy impromptu conversations with my students and get to know them on a more personal level. I am also proud to work in a department that conducts such important public health research.
Who do you work closely with?
I work closely with Laura Sims, an administrative assistant who has been with the department for over a year, and Robbie Weaver, who is new to the team as a student services advisor.
Get to know Renee
What did you want to be as a child?
I wanted to be a pediatrician, but when I was a freshman in high school, I loved health class and the teacher, so I decided I wanted to be a high school health teacher. There are medical professionals in my family, so health has always been part of my background.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy weekend getaways with my family, singing with my toddler, and playing with my two cats.
