1. [JOHN K. SPRINGER ‘53 PUBLIC POLICY INTERN PROFILE]
Melissa An graduated from Ladue High School in St. Louis,
Missouri. At Ladue, Melissa was a captain of the speech and
debate team and competed nationally in Original Oratory. She
was a founding student for a service group focused on
underserved youth and served as photo editor of the school
newspaper. Melissa was also a member of the varsity tennis
team and various honors orchestras. At Dartmouth, Melissa
majors in Neuroscience and minors in the Anthropology of
Global Health. She has served as Campaigns Coordinator and
Co-President of Dartmouth’s chapter of GlobeMed, a network
that works towards alleviating global health disparities. She
has also served as Co-President of China Care, a foundation that aims to provide medical care
to orphaned children in China. In addition, Melissa conducts research at the Dartmouth
Psychiatry Research Center. After graduation, Melissa plans to attend medical school and
incorporate global health work into her medical career.
Melissa was funded in honor of the late John K. Springer ’53 who served on the Rockefeller
Center Board of Visitors for a summer 2013 internship.
Executive Summary from Melissa’s final report:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the nation’s premier public health
agency. The CDC is one of the major federal agencies under the Department of Health and
Human Services and its main goal is to protect the health and safety of not only the American
public, but also people all around the world. The National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic
Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) specifically is committed
“I am extremely grateful to the
to preventing disease, disability, and death caused by
Rockefeller Center and John K. Springer
infectious diseases. NCEZID is comprised of seven
’53 for funding this internship. Their
divisions, which include foodborne and waterborne
diseases, vectorborne diseases, global migration and
funding has truly made it possible for
quarantine, and healthcare quality promotion. Some
me to have the rewarding and
examples of the center’s work include preparing for
worthwhile experience that I had.”
potential bioterrorist attacks, responding to

2. outbreaks in the U.S. and around the world, and tackling the issues of healthcare-associated
infections.
As an intern, I helped develop and analyze many different communication products for the
center, specifically directed towards the public, policymakers, and the media. I wrote online
formatted articles that provided information and prevention messages to the public on diseases
such as listeria and West Nile virus. In addition, I wrote press releases to inform the media and
the public of NCEZID’s current activities. I assisted in preparing talking points to be used for
communication with policymakers, partners, and the media. On a daily basis, I also distributed
news stories to the center that were relevant to NCEZID’s work. Other work included assisting
with the promotion of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, working on social media
efforts, and helping communicate the center’s activities to senior leadership.
These experiences have helped me gain valuable new perspectives for my future professional
goals. Simply being at this governmental agency has exposed me to so many different careers
within public health. My work at the CDC has also taught me the importance and value of
communication. So much science and research goes on within healthcare, but bringing this to
the public and to policymakers is critical for positive change within the field. This experience
will undoubtedly influence my future work both as a physician when interacting with patients
as well as in the public and global health work I hope to do.
Melissa An ’14 at the main CDC Campus in Atlanta
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