Born in Johnson City, TN and raised in Amarillo, TX, I am now a senior at Yale University enrolled in a 5-year B.A./M.P.H. joint degree program. At Yale College, may major is Political Science – Health Policy while at the Yale School of Public Health I’m in two concentration programs: Health Management and Global Health.
Over my time at Yale, I was the coordinator of the Public Health Coalition at Yale and Director of AIDS Walk New Haven, a non-profit organization that raises funds (and awareness) for local organizations that provide services to the HIV/AIDS community. I have also served as a publisher/writer for P.H. Magazine: The Yale Journal of Public Health and was the finance head of the Dwight Hall socially responsible investment fund.
The majority of my time at Yale has been centered around public health. In the past two or three years, I’ve really gotten interested in social enterprise, economic development, and theories of global social justice. One of the reasons for starting this blog was to help record and develop ideas for my senior thesis on market mechanisms for poverty alleviation. (All comments welcome.) Other reasons for blogging are in this post.
Please contact me with any feedback at justin.berk@gmail.com .
You can also find me on twitter: @justinberk
Hey, Justin –
I’m a semi-retired probation officer of 33+ years. Educationally, I’m a part of the CAlif. system, with a B.A. in Sociology, an M.A. in Social Science, and unfinished degrees in Law (2 yrs.) and MBA (9 units + thesis). (I could never make up my mind after pulling the plug on pre-med. after “discovering” GROSS anatomy.)
If the prison system and its pressing needs nation-wide are an area of concern for the field of Public Health, I’ve been working “pro bono” for 6+ years on an interesting and (I feel) worthy case that might really pique your interest as a thesis topic.
If you’d like to hear more re: this, you can contact me at: jtdpma@sbcglobal.net .