Protecting Public Health

When Elizabeth Zaborowski-Majda, two-time School of Health Sciences’ graduate, took a job as a port health protection officer with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), she didn’t know much about the role or what it entailed. Three years later, she is excelling in her position and loving every minute of it. 

Zaborowski-Majda grew up in Hamtramck, MI, and completed her undergraduate degree in pre-physical therapy at OU. While preparing to apply for graduate physical therapy programs, she volunteered at hospitals and nonprofit clinics in underserved communities. “I became interested in how you can think upstream,” Zaborowski-Majda explains. “My focus shifted from helping people in that moment of struggle to helping to reduce the struggle altogether.” When Zaborowski-Majda met Dr. Rebecca Cheezum, associate professor of public health and former chairperson of the Department of Public and Environmental Wellness, Dr. Cheezum encouraged her to consider a Master of Public Health (MPH). That’s exactly what Zaborowski-Majda did, completing her second degree at OU in 2020. “This is home,” Zaborowski-Majda says. “It’s exactly what I wanted.”

Zaborowski-Majda works at the CDC Detroit Port Health Station located at a major international port of entry. The Detroit Port Health Station has jurisdiction over all land, sea, and air ports of entry in Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky. As a part of the Division of Global Migration Health in the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Disease, she and her colleagues in the Port Health Protection Branch strive to prevent the introduction and spread of communicable diseases in the United States.

Zaborowski-Majda works at the CDC Detroit Port Health Station which is located at a major international port of entry. The Detroit Port Health Station has jurisdiction over all land, sea, and air ports of entry in Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky. As a part of the Division of Global Migration Health in the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, she and her colleagues in the Port Health Protection Branch strive to prevent the introduction and spread of communicable diseases in the United States. Day-to-day responsibilities include a wide range of activities that can be categorized into four categories: Response, Migration, Inspection and Partnerships. These activities include responding to reports of illnesses at ports of entry, distributing of immunobiologics and investigational drugs for life-saving purposes, planning and preparing for emergency responses, carefully inspecting arriving cargo and baggage for any item that might serve as a vector for disease, and reviewing health records of immigrants, refugees, asylees and parolees.

Zaborowski-Majda loves her career and finds it very fulfilling, particularly in the opportunities to respond to mass migration emergencies. One of her most memorable experiences was being deployed for Operations Allies Welcome as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan. “It’s important to monitor the health of repatriates and evacuees,” Zaborowski-Majda says with enthusiasm. “Operations like that are enormous. It's inspiring to witness the collaboration, ingenuity and grit of all those involved. And on the other end, they are deeply moving and expose the sheer humanness at hand."

Like any job, there are also challenges. “When you work in government, there are often many moving parts and individuals involved in decision-making,” Zaborowski-Majda explains. “It’s really challenging when we are in an emergency response, like the pandemic. We have to set up within a couple of hours to do surveillance or start initiating a response. It’s quick work. That’s the part I like most, but it’s also the most challenging.”

For anyone interested in pursuing public health, Zaborowski-Majda advises to explore and take any opportunity that presents itself because it can provide valuable experience and help you discover what you enjoy. For those interested in working for the federal government, she encourages exploring USA Jobs for job postings and being open to relocating.

Discover the public health programs offered in SHS that drive graduates to make a difference.