NJHKI is committed to Rutgers-New Brunswick’s Academic Master Plan through our community engagement and dedication to student success. By offering student internships, we provide high-impact learning experiences that prepare students to work in diverse communities and contribute to the greater good. Meet our current student intern team!
Jenna DeSimone is a senior at the Rutgers University Honors College and is currently enrolled in the Accelerated BS/MPH program. She is majoring in public health, minoring in psychology, and working towards a concentration in epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health. As Jenna has entered academia, the concern of health disparities has become far more apparent, and especially more important when the pandemic exacerbated many pre-existing disparities. She hopes to focus on chronic illnesses and the impact of early intervention to minimize one’s risk of becoming ill. Jenna has specific interests in detecting the relation between early intervention and disease through statistics and data analysis. In addition to working in the community as an NJHKI intern, Jenna is also working with the Institute of Food, Health, and Nutrition (IFNH) as a student ambassador.
Anjali Patel is a fourth-year student double-majoring in Public Health and Cell Biology and Neuroscience. During her time at Rutgers, she has worked as a research assistant at the Rutgers Neuropsychology Laboratory, is a peer mentor through the Cell Biology and Neuroscience Society, and is a member of the Voices of Diversity Student Advisory Board. She plans to pursue a career as a physician and hopes to integrate her public health training into patient care. Through the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative, she aims to promote healthy habits in kids starting from a young age, with the hope that a healthy lifestyle will follow them into adulthood. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family, cooking new recipes, and discovering new music.
Emily Zhivotovski is a senior at the Rutgers University Honors College, working on her capstone project with the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative (NJHKI). She is majoring in Cell Biology and Neuroscience with a minor in Health and Society and is passionate about addressing food insecurity around the Rutgers community. Combining her previous research knowledge with her interest in public health, Emily is excited to analyze the cross sectional determinants that influence nutritional health. She hopes to continue her community service by improving healthcare literacy in adolescents and engaging with students to help build healthy eating habits focused on proper nutrition.
