Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 NCPC Tobacco Endgame Interns
Kaylee Milner | kmilner@ucmerced.edu
B.A Public Health
Kaylee is a third-year public health student at the University of California, Merced. She grew up in northern Georgia, where she observed firsthand the health disparities that exist among rural populations. These experiences inspired her research interests in rural health, community health, and health education. After graduating, Kaylee’s goals are to pursue advanced degrees in public health and medicine. She hopes to serve rural communities like her own as a provider and public health professional, with the ultimate goal of increasing access to healthcare among rural populations.
Kaylie Burdine | kburdine@ucmerced.edu
B.A Psychological Sciences
B.A Public Health
Kaylie Burdine is from the Central Valley in Hanford, California and is currently a 4th-year student at UC Merced, double majoring in Psychology and Public Health. With a passion for helping people, Kaylie aims to make a significant impact and spread awareness on the mental and physical health of individuals. In the future, Kaylie plans to seek further education to pursue a master’s in psychology and become a Behavioral Health Psychologist, where she hopes to develop strategies to promote healthier lifestyles and improve mental health outcomes.
Brandon Castillo Flores | bcastilloflores@ucmerced.edu
B.A Psychological Sciences
Brandon Castillo Flores is a fourth-year Psychology major with a minor in Public Health at the University of California, Merced, set to graduate in Spring 2025. Assisting Dr. Anna E. Epperson in her lab, Brandon's research focuses on Latinx health behaviors and perceptions of cannabis use. Through the UROC Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, he leads a project investigating the relationship between the generational status of Mexican-Americans and their health risk perceptions of cannabis use. Brandon also interns at the Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center, connecting research with community needs and gaining public health experience.
Brandon is passionate about addressing public health challenges through research and community engagement. He aims to continue researching cannabis risk perceptions in graduate school, becoming more involved with local communities, and developing preventive measures. His future goals include pursuing a Ph.D. in Health Psychology, influencing public policy, and educating future generations to reduce the stigma surrounding substance and cannabis use. He believes that education and knowledge are the best preventatives.
Ilse Flores | iflores42@ucmerced.edu
B.A Psychological Sciences
B.A Public Health
Ilse Flores is a first-generation Latinx college student. Currently majoring in Psychology and Public Health at UC Merced. During her first year in college, she became interested in pursuing a graduate degree on learning that her education could extend beyond a bachelor’s degree. Ilse first came to the United States at the age of 14 without knowing any English after her parents decided to bring her back to the United States in an effort to provide her with an American high school education, and the promise of better opportunities. During the summer of 2023, Ilse collaborated with Professor Elaine Denny to create a research poster through UROC, the poster addressing the impact of misinformation on social media users in their daily lives.
During her time at UC Merced Ilse was placed on the Dean’s Honors List with a GPA of 3.52. Ilse has also had the privilege of joining the PSI CHI International Psychology Honor Society, The NCPC Tobacco Endgame Internship allows Ilse to gain necessary research experience, meaningful connections with local public health departments, and allow her to help address and understand health risk behaviors within Merced county. By promoting evidence-based policy advocacy and conducting research on tobacco and nicotine, Ilse believes she can help address health inequalities within her community.
Katharine Rodriguez Puga | krodriguezpuga@ucmerced.edu
B.S Biological Sciences
B.A Public Health
Katharine Rodriguez Puga is a proud first-generation Mexican-American student at UC Merced. She will be entering her 4th year majoring in Biology and Public Health. She was born and raised in the Central Valley of Kingsburg. Daughter to hard-working immigrants she plans on continuing her studies after graduating and heading to her goal of becoming a physician. During her time at UC Merced, she has been a part of the photography club, YLP, and College Corps. She is pursuing a career in the health field and plans to return home to improve her community health outcome.
Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 NCPC Tobacco Endgame Research Assistants
Vanika Kang | vkang5@ucmerced.edu
B.A Public Health
Vanika Kang, is one of the NCPC research assistants, working across a number of projects including supporting Public Health Department helping talk about the dangers of smoking at local Central Valley schools. Vanika is Public Health major at UC Merced and aspires to continue her study of public health in graduate school, specifically focusing on epidemiology.
Esai Navarro | enavarro29@ucmerced.edu
B.A. Sociology
B.A. Public Health
Esai grew up locally in Los Banos, California. Ever since he was a young age and entered high school, he has been surrounded and influenced by individuals who have actively used nicotine & marijuana products such as e-cigarettes. His first exposure to seeing the use of marijuana was in eighth grade and by high school, marijuana & nicotine e-cigarettes had become very popular among the youth. An early exposure to seeing substance use at a young sparked his interest in understanding the overall effects and the importance of regulating such substances. By conducting thorough studies on the health effects of nicotine, tobacco, and other abused substances, considering both short-term and long-term impacts, he believes we can develop policies that promote overall public safety and health.
