“Location, location, location” are often used to describe the three most important factors for real estate, but it turns out that the same adage applied to Carlf Cao when was considering where to earn his Master of Public Health degree.

The Cleveland, Ohio, native will earn his MPH degree with a concentration in biostatistics from the Georgia State School of Public Health later this month.

“I chose the School of Public Health at Georgia State because of the proximity of the CDC and other public health organizations,” Cao said. “Looking back, this was the best choice I could have made. Being in Atlanta has afforded me opportunities I could not have experienced elsewhere.”

Real-World Experiences
In February 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, he began working on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the world’s busiest airport—Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta—conducting passenger screening, education and data collection. His work continued through 2022, and it gave him invaluable connections with staff members at the CDC and other federal agencies.

During his time at Georgia State he also conducted quantitative research that applied the Urban Health Index, a metric developed by researchers in the School of Public Health and used worldwide to measure disparities in health determinants, to the assessment of changes in death rates from cardiovascular disease in Augusta, Georgia, and surrounding areas.

For his applied practice experience, Cao conducted qualitative research for Georgia State’s Southern Urban Research for Growth and Equity (SURGE) initiative. The project is working with Metro Atlanta communities of color to address health disparities, and it is supported by funding from Georgia State President M. Brian Blake’s Research Innovation and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) challenge.

“My education has provided me the opportunity to learn more about what health means and what it means to be healthy,” Cao said. “That definition has been rewritten in my mind.”

He explained that he initially thought of health in individual terms, like eating right and exercising, but now understands the powerful role social determinants of health like economic stability, access to health care, and a person’s neighborhood and community context have in shaping health outcomes.

A Supportive Environment
The Georgia State memories that Cao will carry after graduation include late-night (and sometimes last-minute) study sessions in the School of Public Health’s biostatistics lab and in Georgia State’s library.

“There are so many instances where people have helped me throughout this journey,” he said, recalling classmates who shared their life and career experiences with him and faculty members who were readily accessible.

“I spent an obnoxious amount of time in Dr. (Ike) Okosun’s office when I had him for epidemiology methods,” Cao said. “We’d talk about homework, tests, quizzes, and he was always open to sharing his time. It was the same when I emailed professors about conducting research with them. Everyone was very responsive.”

He adds that his experiences, both inside the classroom and out, have prepared him with core skills in areas such as statistical methodologies and data analysis but also have prepared him to work as part of a diverse team on large and complex projects.

“I’ve experienced the private sector and the government and non-profit sectors,” he said, “and each path can help me achieve my goal of helping people improve their health and well-being.”