Dr. Cougar Hall is a professor and researcher of public health at Brigham Young University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in School Health Education at Brigham Young University before getting a master’s degree in Health Promotion and Education and his PhD in Teaching and Learning at the University of Utah. Cougar's desire to learn and share public health information is one of the main reasons why he is the perfect host for the Y Health podcast.
Emma Drybread is a recently graduated MPH alumnus from Folsom, CA. She is passionate about giving every child the opportunity to receive a quality education. She has traveled to Mexico over 20 times, volunteering in orphanages, teaching English, and serving as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Emma has been working on projects for United Way of Utah County's Summer Learning program at South Franklin Community Center for about 10 months. She worked as Program Coordinator for Summer Learning for her fieldwork experience this past summer. Emma plans to take what she has learned in the MPH program to create opportunities to help children in rural communities in Baja California, MX further progress in their education.
Marco Verdeja currently works as an Equity and Inclusion Consultant for Community Health at Intermountain Healthcare, where he oversees strategy development and implementation for system-wide Community Health equity initiatives. His work focuses on areas such as immunizations, insurance and health access, avoidable disease and injury, and healthcare anchor strategies. In addition, he supports locally based community health efforts in Utah and Millard Counties.
Before joining Intermountain Healthcare, he spent three years working as a general practitioner and in emergency medicine in Mexico, where he developed a strong commitment to population-based health approaches. He later moved to the U.S. to pursue a master’s degree in public health at Brigham Young University, graduating in 2019.
Ricardo hails from Quito, Ecuador, where he earned his Medical Degree from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. Following graduation, he served as a rural doctor for Ecuador's Ministry of Public Health, providing care to underserved communities.
In 2018, Ricardo began the rigorous process of transitioning into the U.S. healthcare system. He successfully passed the medical licensing exams and earned ECFMG certification in 2021, an achievement that validates the credentials of international medical graduates. To gain hands-on experience, he completed externships and observerships in clinical settings across Florida, New York, New Mexico, and Utah.
In his ongoing commitment to advancing his education, Ricardo is currently pursuing a Master's degree to deepen his expertise and broaden his impact in the medical field.
I am a professor of microbial ecology and biogeochemistry born and raised in Portland OR and educated at BYU, the University of California Davis, and Michigan State University. I feel that the purpose of my professional life is to teach students about the interconnectedness of life within the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere and promote environmental sustainability through ecological truths, gospel principles, and charity.