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
My name is Ilse Flores, and I am a first-generation Latinx college student. Currently, I am majoring in Psychology and Public Health at UC Merced . During my first year in college, I became interested in pursuing a graduate degree when I learned that my education could extend beyond a bachelor’s degree. To provide more context about myself, I came to the United States at the age of 14 without knowing any English.From kindergarten to 8th grade, I received my education in a small town in Mexico. At the age of 14, my parents decided to bring me back to the United States to provide me with an American high school education and the promise of better opportunities. This transition was challenging for me at the time, as I didn't know any English. Upon arriving in the United States, I experienced a different culture and language, which was intimidating since I didn’t have my parents' support due to their undocumented status. During the summer of 2023, I collaborated with Professor Elaine Denny to create a research poster through UROC, the poster addressed the impact of misinformation on social media users in their daily lives. We drew upon information from her previous studies and conducted an assessment of how individuals are not only more susceptible to social media misinformation but also actively engage in it.The study is centered around the utilization of nationally representative data to identify the specific demographic groups exhibiting online behaviors that render them vulnerable to misinformation. My responsibilities included selecting and developing the research topic, locating and collecting information, evaluating and choosing sources, making notes on various articles, and ultimately creating the final draft of the research poster. During my years at UC Merced I was placed on the Dean’s Honors List with a GPA of 3.52. I’ve also had the privilege to join the PSI CHI International Psychology Honor Society, become a member of the UC Merced Anime club, and now, I am excited to conduct research for the second time . Despite the ongoing challenges, receiving an education has always been a significant challenge for me. However, I believe my resilience and diverse background are the main reasons why I will be successful within the NCPC program. I believe the NCPC Tobacco Endgame Internship will allow me to gain necessary research experience, gain meaningful connections with local public health departments, and allow me to help address and understand health risk behaviors within Merced county. By promoting evidence-based policy advocacy and conducting research on tobacco and nicotine, I believe I can help address health inequalities within my community. As a whole, I believe my large academic improvement, resilience and diverse background are the main reasons why I would be successful within the NCPC Tobacco Endgame internship.
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.
