At first thought, forensic pathology may not seem like public health. Working in a coroner’s office in her hometown, however; Maura Benner could see the connections. “A lot of the problems we saw can be explained with the social determinants of health,” she says. She realized that autopsies represented “so many public health issues, in their final stages.” She wanted to become more of an advocate for preventing public health issues, like the opioid epidemic and heart disease, before they could lead to mortality.

Benner began to look for MPH programs to fit her interests. “Climate change weighs heavily on my mind, and I wanted to find an MPH program that incorporates public health with sustainability and One Health.” She knew that factors like pollution and food insecurity often lead to chronic disease and mortality. Cornell’s MPH Program seemed like the perfect fit, she says, and after four semesters she says, “I made the right decision.”

Within the first month of joining the program, Benner called the Tompkins County Medical Examiner’s office to ask if there were projects to plug into, and was asked to help work on a Mass Fatality Plan for the Tompkins County Health Department.

“This project was actually being planned before the pandemic,” she recalls. Along with the medical examiners, who were also busy with COVID-19 testing, Benner began to work closely with the county’s preparedness coordinator, Nina Saeli, along with MPH Program assistant professor of practice Dr. Elizabeth Fox, Cornell ’09, ’16. They secured funding from the Office of Engagement Initiatives (OEI) to hire a team of interdisciplinary Cornell undergraduate students from the Department of Human Development and the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning.

“This has been a great example of an interdisciplinary team coming together.” says Benner. While students with health science backgrounds supported development of hazard analyses and a Family Assistance Center (FAC) plan, architecture students developed a temporary morgue analysis along with “morgue overflow solutions,” including shelving, containers, and refrigerated trucks. Benner helped to manage all aspects of the project.

In her final semesters with the MPH Program, Benner continued to work on the FAC, which she describes as “an incident command structure, and a hub for the family and friends of victims,” especially in times of mass fatality. She is also working with the county Health Department to support COVID-19 contact tracing and vaccine clinics.

In April, undergraduate Joanna Papadakis, Cornell College of Human Ecology ’21, received the 2021 Cornell Campus-Community Leadership Award for her work with the Tompkins County Mass Fatality Plan. Dr. Fox nominated Papadakis for the award because of her commitment to community health, problem-solving skills, and cultural competence throughout the project. Papadakis has a long record of community engagement and service with local agencies during her time at Cornell.

Written by Audrey Baker