New alumni association co-presidents aim to increase alum participation
UC Berkeley School of Public Health welcomes Tia Gangopadhyay, MPH ’20, BA ’15, and Dave Newhouse, MD, MPH ’79, MBA, as new co-presidents of the UC Berkeley Public Health Alumni Association (PHAA) Board of Directors. Recently, we asked them about their backgrounds and what’s in store for the alumni association.
Their responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Tia Gangopadhyay, MPH ‘20, BA ’15
Tia Gangopadhyay holds an MPH in Health Policy and Management and a BA in Social Welfare and Public Health from UC Berkeley. She currently serves as a program manager at Kaiser Permanente for Northern California’s mental health service line.
Previously, Tia served as a managerial consultant at Kaiser Permanente. In this role, Tia supported a portfolio of clinical areas for the entire Northern California region, including diabetes; addiction medicine and recovery services; and emerging therapeutics.
Tia’s prior work has spanned health care consulting, business development, account management, and channel and contracts analytics across companies like STAT Revenue and Genentech.
Tell us about your experience as a graduate student here.
I am a very proud double bear, having earned both my bachelors and masters in public health from UC Berkeley. Cal’s school of public health is extraordinary, not just for its world-class education, but for its emphasis on social justice, focus on innovation, and access to leading experts.
During my MPH experience, I had the immense privilege of learning from both eminent scholars who taught me theory and imparted their industry wisdom and from my peers who shaped my ideologies on public health practice. The coursework promoted interdisciplinary study while the practicum fostered skill applications outside of the classroom. I made lifelong friends, mentors, and memories during my graduate studies.
What does your new role of PHAA co-president entail?
As the co-president of PHAA, I serve as a liaison between the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and the school’s robust alumni network. My role includes promoting the school’s mission through subcommittee work, supporting Dean Michael C. Lu’s vision and advancing the school’s goals.
What inspired you to join PHAA and become part of the leadership team?
As a proud two-time graduate of UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, I am a beneficiary of the robust alumni network. I have always been passionate about PHAA’s mission and have served as an unofficial ambassador for Cal’s public health program since my undergraduate days. I was inspired to join PHAA to contribute my expertise and leverage my experience in mentoring students and alumni, promoting pathways for early careerists, building a stronger partnership and recruitment channel with professional organizations, and expanding professional development opportunities. I am excited for the opportunity to now serve in a leadership role within PHAA and drive the strategic direction of my alma mater in an even more impactful way.
What are your goals for PHAA?
Cal’s world-class public health program boasts tremendous talent in all intersections of public health and, if given support and provided opportunities, I firmly believe they will promote public health practice in exceptional ways. Through PHAA, my goals to achieve this in partnership with the board and Dean Lu are threefold:
- Increase BPH alumni participation in events and partnerships to further student and alumni opportunities
- Fundraise for student fellowships
- Host informative and creative events that foster community and promote BPH goals
How does your work with PHAA reflect your professional career?
PHAA’s mission to increase the advancement of public health practice, leadership, and health equity has been a core tenet of my career. Be it in my time on the provider, payer or pharmaceutical side, I have consistently strived to promote prevention, harm reduction, and equity in my work.
I look forward to partnering with public health advocates at PHAA to collaborate on this important work.
What are you most excited about this year for PHAA?
I am incredibly excited to partner with our new and existing board members to continue planning and executing on our goals. I look forward to the accomplishments we will collectively achieve in the coming year.
What inspires your work in public health?
Public health has an undeniable and profound impact on all of us and yet only the brave few pursue the critical work. It has been an honor and privilege to work in this space and I am constantly inspired by the great work being done in classrooms, laboratories, boardrooms, communities, clinics, and more.
David Newhouse, MD, MPH’79, MBA
David Newhouse received his medical degree in 1974 from Michigan State University. He did his internship and residency at Gorgas Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone, finishing in 1978. In 1979, he received his MPH in Maternal Child Health from UC Berkeley.
During his time at Berkeley, he also worked at Planned Parenthood in San Francisco and for the San Francisco Health Department Clinic located in the Castro district. After receiving his degree , he joined the Permanente Medical Group in Fremont where he worked for 37 years.
In addition to being an obstetrician/gynecologist, Newhouse acted as department chief, assistant-in-chief, and program director for the Fremont Infertility clinic. Leadership roles included diversity, service quality and performance improvement. In 2003, he developed an analytics program for improving service and quality for diverse demographics. For this he received Kaiser’s R. J. Erickson award and a top ten innovation award from Diversity Inc.
After retiring from TPMG in 2015, he did a year in 2017 for the Kaiser Hawaii region as a locum tenens physician. Now retired from clinical practice, he serves as a board member on the Dr. Augustus White III Institute for Health Care Equity in Boston and locally on the Contra Costa County Crisis Center Board.
Tell us about your experience as a graduate student at UC Berkeley School of Public Health.
After an intensive four years as an intern and resident at Gorgas Hospital [in Panama], I was ready for a change of pace. While it was grueling at Gorgas, I learned a great deal about working with diverse populations and about tropical diseases that you rarely see in the United States.
I was fortunate to be assigned to the International House to live while on campus at UC Berkeley. The Berkeley curriculum was wonderful and really expanded my view of the world of medicine. Many of the concepts I learned served me well in my leadership roles; the concepts I learned are still valid today.
I also found that I have a passion for learning. I have taken classes on system analysis from MIT and in 2019, received my MBA from St Mary’s College in Moraga. I still consult with organizations on how to use data analytics in health care.
What inspired you to join PHAA?
Being retired, I felt I have the time and energy to be an active member on the board. I really enjoyed my time on campus and so was looking forward to being able to return to the school. Quite a difference between now and when I was a student. I am starting my third year on the board and it has been a wonderful experience meeting students and other board members.
What does the new role entail?
There are two co-presidents and we are responsible for being a connection between Dean Michael C. Lu and PHAA. We meet regularly with him and align with his strategies for the school. We have three sub-committees that we assist as they plan their activities for the year. They include professional development, which organizes online lectures, and diversity and scholarship, which gives out grants for students. Events and networking plans local events such hikes and coffee chats.
The school has different events throughout the year and we attend to have a chance to meet the students. We have a general monthly meeting for all the board members and we work with the subcommittees, which each have their own monthly meetings.
What are your goals for the year?
These are challenging times for public health as well as the field of medicine in general. I’d like PHAA to be a resource for students and alumni by having timely speakers on the current hot button topics. Having local events with the students and learning what their concerns are and how we can help. Creating networking opportunities which is critical as students move into their careers. Many students are working full time as well and working on their degree. What can we do to help?
How does your work with PHAA reflect your career?
I feel that I have come full circle with my career. The school was an incredible asset during my career and now there is an opportunity to give back.
What inspires your work in public health?
While in medical school, I was very active in outside activities dealing with public health. I worked as a crisis center volunteer and helped set up a free clinic at the clinic. I worked in a methadone clinic and also worked as an orderly for two years on the midnight shift. Being at the bottom of the food chain in medicine is very revealing about the realities of health care.
I also worked at a clinic for migrant workers and worked in Panama, where I saw complications of illegal abortions as it was illegal and is still illegal in that country. These are the experiences that help guide you in public health.
