MCH Alumni Spotlight: Lauren Schwerzler

My name is Lauren Schwerzler and I’m an alumni of the UIC Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology program. After graduating in the spring of 2019, I started working at the Minnesota Department of Health as a research scientist in the Child & Family Health Division . I had been in my position for about 10 months when the COVID-19 pandemic began. The state decided to redistribute staffing resources, and I was temporarily assigned to work on the COVID-19 Homeless and Sheltered Response team. In this new role, I provided guidance to prevent and respond to COVID-19 cases in homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, and supportive housing settings across the state. I ended up spending over a year and a half in this role and learned a ton about homelessness and housing resources in Minnesota. I always knew that lack of stable housing was a root cause of adverse health outcomes, but this experience allowed me to witness the impact directly.

Today, I am working in a permanent position focused on housing and homelessness.  I’m a planner for the adult homeless shelter system in Hennepin County (where Minneapolis is located). I oversee the system and work closely with the directors and managers of the adult homeless shelters to ensure that access to shelter is free from as many barriers as possible. I also work closely with other planners. Their work focuses on the systems for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and youth and families experiencing homelessness. Together, we make changes to improve these systems with guidance from people who are currently or have previously experienced homelessness. At the end of the day, the actions I do or do not take in my position have a huge impact on people experiencing homelessness, which makes it high stakes (especially when it’s extremely cold outside), but rewarding. I’m only two months into this position, so there’s still a lot for me to learn and do!

For current students or recent alumni, I think it’s important to be open to positions and opportunities that aren’t exactly what you think you want to do. Although possible, it’s unlikely that you’re going to find the perfect job right out of graduate school. When I started my position at the state of Minnesota, it wasn’t in an area that I ever thought I would be working in, but ultimately, I ended up meeting great people and thanks (or no thanks) to the pandemic, I ended up in my current position. I never thought I’d be doing impactful systems work this early in my career, but I’m grateful to have this opportunity.