Jacob Dilla
Boring, OR
Degree: 
Faculty advisor: 
Internship title/site and brief summary: 

Board of Directors Services - Northwest Permanente: Partnered with Board on communication, planning and development of web pages. Assisted in planning, implementation, and conversion of policies into new tool. Designed, pitched, and implemented project for Board Committees to communicate with future directors. Intern to President/CEO - PacificSource: Develop assessment of competencies and requirements of PEBB and OEBB. Collaborate across teams to create social determinant of health and equity plan. Participated in executive and state committee meetings alongside President/CEO to learn how to manage and influence healthcare.

Professional / academic / life plans after graduation: 

Work in improving integration between behavioral/mental health and physical health. I was offered a position at PacificSource (where I completed the H510 Internship) as a Behavioral Health Performance Coach, supporting providers in improving Quality Incentive Metrics and healthcare delivery for the Medicaid population.

Favorite memory of being a graduate student at Oregon State: 

Being able to work alongside the MPH Cohort throughout all disciplines was a meaningful way to experience graduate school. You can learn alongside, struggle with, and strategically collaborate on projects and health improvements. I made lifelong friends and future colleagues.

Impactful faculty mentorship: 

Dr. Sakuma created the most impactful mentorship for me through challenging questions and critical thinking opportunities in her classroom. She has great insight into health behavior change and challenges us to think like and for our target population when hoping to create change. In Public Health, there is rarely a yes or a no to a question. Dr. Sakuma advances our efforts through asking more questions to stimulate thinking rather than providing an answer - the most difficult, but impactful way to learn. I have even taken projects and communications I have created during my graduate experience back to her to workshop and continue learning, which has helped make my products more impactful.