INTERNSHIPS & PRACTICUMS

OPHA is proud to host public health students for both internships and practicums! OPHA's staff, McKenzie Cowlbeck MPH, CPH and Tracy Freudenthaler, PhD, MPH MCHES, serve as preceptors for policy and administrative / programmatic projects, respectively. All internship and practicum projects are remote. We highly encourage students interested in completing their internship or practicum with us to learn about OPHA by exploring our website and social media, reviewing our current activities and events, and reading about previous projects below. All interested students except HCOPH students (see OPHTC section below) should contact OPHA's Administrator, Dr. Freudenthaler, at tracy@okpublichealth.org to begin conversations about completing your internship or practicum with us!

Oklahoma Public Health Training Center (OPHTC)

OPHA is proud to be a host site for the University of Oklahoma Health Campus Hudson College of Public Health (HCOPH) through Oklahoma Public Health Training Center (OPHTC). With funding and technical support from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) and the Region 6 South Central Public Health Training Center (R6SCPHTC), OPHTC facilitates cohorts of stipend interns and practicum students to strengthen the technical, managerial, and leadership competence of Oklahoma's public health workforce and to advance the knowledge and skills of the future state public health workforce. Due to the program's cohort structure, HCOPH students interested in completing their practicum with OPHA must initiate conversations with OPHTC at ophtc@ou.edu before contacting OPHA to apply.

OPHA's Students & Projects

Fall 2026 Policy Practicum – Sandra Franco, MPH, Grand Canyon University

Please stay tuned to learn more about Sandra's practicum supporting OPHA's interim study monitoring and education!

Spring 2026 Policy Practicum – Edward Pascual-Rosales, MPH-HAP, Hudson College of Public Health

Edward Pascual-Rosales, Master in Public Health (MPH) in Health Administration and Policy (HAP) student at the OU Health Campus Hudson College of Public Health, will be completing his practicum with OPHA in spring 2026 with preceptor McKenzie Cowlbeck. Edward's project will support OPHA’s ongoing policy and legislative monitoring efforts by identifying, tracking, and summarizing bills from the 2026 regular legislative session that influence population health and healthcare access in Oklahoma with the goal to create educational materials and visual resources to inform OPHA members, partners, and the public about key policy developments.

Summer 2025 Admin & Programming Intern – Kalyn Smith, MHA, Hudson College of Public Health

Kalyn Smith, Master in Health Administration (MHA) student at the OU Health Campus Hudson College of Public Health, completed her internship with OPHA in summer 2025 with preceptor Dr. Tracy Freudenthaler. Kalyn's project focused on early hearing screenings for school-aged children in Oklahoma. She analyzed current data and mapped key agencies and nonprofits advocating for hearing health. She also organized an educational webinar with audiology and speech pathology experts to raise awareness and promote local hearing health resources. Congratulations, Kalyn!