Aaron Childs graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health (B.S.) from Mercer University in 2014 where he received the Academic Merit Scholarship and Dean’s List Award. His passion for public health was discovered when he began his first job as a Health Education Intern at the Macon-Bibb County Public Health Department, where his responsibilities were to develop health education programs, learn how board meetings function, utilize media outlets to inform the public about community health programs, present health issues and to create newsletters to promote future programs. After graduating from Mercer University, he pursued a Master of Science in Public Health (M.S.P.H.) from Meharry Medical College. While there, he received the Tennessee Managed Care Network Endowed Scholarship, High Honors Award, Dean’s List Award, earned a spot in the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, and won 1st place at Student Research Day for his thesis topic: “Prevalence, Risk Factors, Attitudes, and Beliefs Toward Hookah Smoking Among African-American Graduate Students/Health Professionals in Nashville, Tennessee”. As a Health Administration Intern at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in 2015, his responsibilities were to attend board meetings, evaluating Emergency Room Throughput, and perform other related duties to ensure the efficient and effective functioning of the hospital. He graduated from Meharry Medical College in 2016 and began the Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.) program in the School of Health Sciences and Practice at New York Medical College in the fall of 2016. His research interest is determining if new or modified interventions decrease the prevalence of HIV infection among young adults.

Undergraduate School

Mercer University

Undergraduate Major

Public Health

Graduate School(s)

Meharry Medical College (MSPH)

Focus Area/Interests

• Public Health Education
• Health Administration
• HIV Prevention
• Health Program Development
• Research in Public Health

Career Experience

• Health Education Intern at Macon-Bibb County Public Health Department
• Health Administration Intern at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital
• Gained experience in board meeting processes and public health media communication
• Conducted research on hookah smoking prevalence and attitudes among African-American students