Staff: Essential to Success
Strengthening Ties with Community
At the heart of every initiative addressing pressing health challenges, expanding access to community care and improving education is a team of devoted staff whose passion and expertise fuel the success of the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego. Erin Warren, graduate practicum program coordinator, and Lindsay Bingham, Neighborhood Health Program manager, are just two of the dedicated professionals helping to shape the future of public health.
Through their work, they advance the school’s mission in action by supporting students in their academic journeys, nurturing connections that elevate the educational experience, strengthening ties with the community and establishing creative opportunities for hands-on learning.
Exercise and Physical Activity Resource Center (EPARC) staff
Community Centered Education
Since the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health launched its first academic year in fall 2020, enrollment has grown substantially — from 566 students in the 2019-2020 academic year, before the school was established, to 1,053 in 2024-2025, the school’s fifth academic year. As the student body continues to grow, it is vital to expand staff support to guide, uplift, and help students achieve lasting success.
Earlier this year, Warren joined the school as the inaugural graduate practicum program coordinator, where she facilitates supervised, hands-on learning experiences that help graduate students apply theoretical knowledge from their coursework to real-world situations in their field.
Through her work, she helps hone community partnerships by connecting graduate students with community members whose work aligns with students’ research strengths and career paths.
“I’ll serve in identifying potential practicum sites, aligning student interests with community needs and ensuring that our students’ contributions, their projects and deliverables are mutually beneficial,” Warren said. “By learning about the opportunities offered by community organizations, I can recommend relevant programs to students who want to explore specific areas such as epidemiology, health technology and public mental health.”
Through her assistance and guidance, the practicum program continues to grow — from 16 students in the first student practicum cohort in 2018, to more than 40 students by the 2024–2025 academic year.
Warren’s goal is to provide the right balance of independence and support, so that students feel confident and capable as they navigate relationships with community partners.
Erin Warren
Nolan Premack, Master of Public Health student, at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark for his student practicum project.
“We encourage students to take the lead in exploring sites or projects that align with their own interests and goals,” said Warren. “When that happens, I help them navigate those connections and make sure the project is a good fit for the practicum’s scope and learning objectives.”
Warren’s position also requires her to create and manage a database of community organizations, public health agencies and advocacy groups interested in working with students and the school. It is quite a robust dataset, as practicum topics can range anywhere from health policy changes, nutrition, food security, large-scale disease prevention and mental and behavioral health.
“Practicum experiences serve as a vital bridge between classroom learning and real-world application, helping students clarify their career goals while gaining the skills to pursue them,” said Kimberly Brouwer, Ph.D., professor and associate dean for education and student affairs. “We are excited to welcome a practicum coordinator who will support our students’ professional growth while fostering meaningful opportunities to give back to our community.”
The education program team plays an important role in sustaining the school’s academic growth while fostering a supportive, student-centered environment. Beyond the classroom, staff also leverage the school’s unique position to engage with the community by providing support that is both intentional and connected directly to life-saving regional and local projects.
“By learning about the opportunities offered by community organizations, I can recommend relevant programs to students who want to explore specific areas such as epidemiology, health technology and public mental health.”
– Erin Warren, Graduate Practicum Program Coordinator
Partnering Learners with Community Organizers
As manager of the Neighborhood Health Program and a certified health education specialist, Bingham is responsible for developing and implementing a collaborative community outreach and engagement framework. This program focuses on driving collective impact through public health research, education and strategic partnerships that foster meaningful change within the community. Like Warren, Bingham also joined the school in the 2024-2025 academic year.
Bingham’s role supports the broader mission and spirit of the school — advancing health, fulfilling the promise of community-led solutions and ensuring that research and discovery therein are disseminated and collaboratively implemented.
“Due to the structures we have in place and cultural shifts within the last few decades, people are not living as long as they could be; vaccination rates are declining, which can increase community vulnerability; and based on their zip codes, some people do not have access to conventional grocery stores or fresh food options that others might have in other parts of the city,” said Bingham.
“Reaching communities in need is important to create a sense of equilibrium that ensures every community has access to a set standard, including nutrient-dense foods, access to training, and education to reduce chronic disease risk and improve health outcomes, so we can all achieve our most vital health throughout our lives.”
Bingham said she joined the school because its recent establishment offered her a unique, rewarding opportunity to contribute at a foundational level. Bingham credited the inspiring leadership of Cheryl A.M. Anderson, Ph.D., M.P.H., founding dean of the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and inaugural Hood Family Endowed Dean’s Chair in Public Health, as another motivational factor for joining — someone whom she felt is fostering a strong sense of connection, belonging and growth-mindset.
Bingham also shared that her commitment to her role is deeply personal, shaped by her own experience of navigating a difficult health situation.
“What motivated me to this role and this work in the school is a sense of community … I know what it’s like to feel alone while navigating health challenges,” said Bingham. “We all experience suffering, with some experiencing more than others due to longstanding structural and social inequities. While we can celebrate the resilience we have in the presence of adversity and make each other feel less alone, as a public health professional, it is critical for us to create effective, equitable systems and conditions where everyone can flourish.”
In her role building meaningful connections between the school and the community, Bingham is helping bring the school’s vision to life by working on projects that tackle real-life health challenges.
Lindsay Bingham, Neighborhood Health Program Manager
“What motivated me to this role and this work in the school is a sense of community … I know what it’s like to feel alone while navigating health challenges.”
– Lindsay Bingham, Neighborhood Health Program Manager
Strengthening Community Academic Collaborations in the Imperial Beach Neighborhood
Residents of the City of Imperial Beach experience high rates of chronic diseases and mental health conditions, compounded by pervasive environmental concerns. According to a 2019 report analyzing chronic disease deaths in San Diego County, the city of Imperial Beach had the highest percentage of chronic disease, and in 2016, four major chronic diseases — cancer, heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes and lung disease — accounted for 56% of all deaths in San Diego’s broader South Bay region.
In response, the Neighborhood Health Program has partnered with local organizations like Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center to improve community and individual well-being by addressing challenges such as food insecurity, homelessness, mental health and health conditions related to long-term sewage exposure. The partnership further aims to establish and strengthen a leading community-academic collaboration focused on promoting health, preventing disease and managing chronic conditions in the region.
As part of the program’s commitment to experiential learning, Bingham oversees mentorships and has helped students with a community mapping project in the region aimed at highlighting neighborhood assets and opportunities for impactful collaboration.
The Imperial Beach project is a developing one and continues to be a collaborative, community-first effort, involving colleagues from other universities, researchers and faculty from the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health; community leaders, champions and residents; and students who have built strong connections within the community.
Empowering Communities to Save Lives
Bingham and student volunteers at a Revive and Survive San Diego training event at Moonlight State Beach.
As program manager, Bingham oversees and strengthens the school’s connection and leadership with the Revive & Survive San Diego initiative — a partnership with the County of San Diego Emergency Medical Services to convene a coalition of leaders from public health, public safety, business, education and community organizations to train 1 million San Diegans in bystander hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
When cardiac arrest strikes, bystander CPR, performed by a non-medical person such as a family member, friend or colleague, is critical. Even a delay of a few minutes in starting CPR can drastically reduce a person’s chance of survival.
Revive & Survive San Diego collaborators regularly conduct CPR training in schools, large-scale public venues and rural community sites across San Diego County in a commitment to meet community members where they are.
“CPR training is important because cardiac arrest most often occurs in the home,” said Bingham. “In order for us to potentially save a loved one’s life if they experience sudden cardiac arrest, we need to know CPR – we need to act urgently and confidently.”
The initiative launched in January 2024 and has already hosted an impressive 17,571 training sessions at schools, businesses, shopping centers, movie theaters, community spaces and parks in collaboration with more than 40 community training partners.
In June 2025, Revive & Survive San Diego reached the halfway mark, training more than half a million San Diegans.
At the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, the expertise and compassion of the staff shape the student experience and drive the school’s mission forward. Whether behind the scenes or front and center, their impact is felt in every classroom, research project and public health initiative. They are the foundation.
