New alumni association co-presidents are ready to foster engagement and make an impact

The UC Berkeley School of Public Health welcomes Stella Ling, MPH ’82, and Tanya Bustamante, MPH ’06, 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.

Stella Ling, MD, MPH ’82

Stella Ling is a graduate of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health in maternal and child health. She is double board-certified in both pediatrics and radiation oncology. She has previously served on the teaching faculty for the University of Miami, Sylvester Cancer Center, the OSU James Cancer Center Dept. of Radiation Oncology, and UC Berkeley OLLI. She is interested in multicultural health care and worked for several years in San Francisco’s Chinatown at the Min An Clinic and also in the Bahamas. She has volunteered for health care delivery on refugee flights and in clinics in Mexico, Guatemala, and Argentina. She has given lectures in Tanzania, Egypt, China, Aruba, the Bahamas, and Poland. She is a member of Raising Hope, an organization that tries to improve cancer care in developing countries. She is currently retired from active practice, but still mentors and does locum tenens from time to time to stay current.

Berkeley Public Health: Tell us about your experience as a graduate student here.

Stella Ling: I received my MPH in Maternal and Child Health the same year I started my pediatric practice in Berkeley. It was hectic bicycling from my office over to campus for class and then back in time for the next patient. It was an exciting time and fun to be able to compare theoretical versus practical aspects of my work and to continue research while actually being able to support myself financially. I became a member of the State Family Planning Advisory Board and was also able to train many pre-med students and give them helpful evaluations for medical school. I also volunteered at Planned Parenthood and also helped to start the Herrick-based Berkeley Primary Care Access Clinic for low-income patients. At the same time I volunteered at UCSF pediatric clinical faculty and helped to train their medical students.

BPH: What does your new role of PHAA co-president entail?

SL: It includes leadership of the PHAA board, being a liaison with the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and meeting with Dean Michael C. Lu. We will have our three main sub-committees this year: professional development, which organizes Zoom lectures and sometimes trainings; diversity and scholarship, which gives grant funding to outstanding students and projects; and events and networking, which plans fun things like picnics, hikes, coffee chats, and career development. We start the year with a retreat for all members of the board to brainstorm new ideas for the coming year.

BPH: What inspired you to join PHAA and become part of the leadership team?

SL: This is my fourth year on the board. My first three years were a blast as I enjoyed all the activities and new perspectives. I love this board and the members—being part of it has opened up new vistas and even though I am close to retirement age, starting me thinking about getting a PhD in this field!

BPH: What are your goals for PHAA?

SL: We never shy away from controversial topics and positions. In the last couple of years we have tackled many of the dean’s favorite topics as well as our own including: women’s choice and the role of reproductive rights, the politicization and polarization of public health, and refugee health, to name a few. This coming year we hope to make time to discuss AI and public health, chronic illnesses such as stroke, the impact of climate change on public health, and of course other interests as brought up by other board members.

BPH: How does your work with PHAA reflect your career?

SL: It offers a good balance to my usual clinical work, giving me time to think and reflect upon the broader aspects of illness globally and also the overarching philosophical and theoretical underpinnings that I might not ordinarily think about in the daily flow of things.

BPH: What are you most excited about?

SL: We have an amazingly talented board with ten new board members. I am sure they will be teeming with new ideas of things we can accomplish together this year!

Tanya Bustamante, MPH ‘06

Tanya Bustamante received her MPH degree in Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology at UC Berkeley School of Public Health. She is currently the interim deputy director of the Health, Housing, and Community Services Department for the City of Berkeley. In her role, she is responsible for overseeing several divisions, including collaborating closely with division managers and fiscal staff to ensure that program operations are well-supported, and budgets are being maintained.

She also monitors performance improvement projects, builds partnerships with community partners, and participates in strategic planning for divisions and the Department as a whole. She has worked for the City of Berkeley for 15 years. Previously, she worked for the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the San Mateo County Public Health Department. Outside of work, her interests include running, reading, and spending time with her husband, two children, and two dogs.

Berkeley Public Health: What inspired you to join PHAA and become part of the leadership team?

Tanya Bustamente: I am passionate about giving back to the community, and decided to join PHAA as a way to contribute to, and engage with the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. I had worked closely with UC Berkeley student interns in my role as program and division manager at the City of Berkeley, and I found those experiences to be enjoyable and fulfilling. As my own kids became older, I discovered that I had a bit more time to commit to contributing to this community. I’m starting my second term on the PHAA board. I have learned so much from my fellow board members in the past year and am looking forward to stepping into a leadership role.

BPH: What are your goals for PHAA this year?

TB: My goals for PHAA include implementing fresh ideas from board members that will enable us to both deepen and broaden our engagement with alumni, and also engage a greater number of current students. By working closely with each other and with the dean and school staff, I believe we can create powerful collective impact.

BPH: How does your work with PHAA reflect your professional career?

TB: My work with PHAA reminds me of the reasons I decided to pursue a career in public health—continuous learning, community involvement, collaboration with peers, and so much more! I love meeting and working with such an incredibly diverse group of like-minded professionals.

BPH: What inspires your work in public health?

TB: My parents did not have much when they immigrated to the US from Mexico, but they found much support in the community where they resided. They also supported my sisters and I in attaining a higher education, while learning the importance of giving back. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had and want to make sure that opportunities can be created for others.

BPH: What are you most excited about this year for PHAA?

TB: I am really excited to meet and get to know our new board members and continue to work with our existing members. It’s such a special and committed group of people.