Public Health Executive Fellowship

2025 - 2026 Fellowship Application Now Closed

The Program

The Tennessee Department of Health's (TDH) Public Health Executive Fellowship is a prestigious career development and mentorship opportunity for recent graduates interested in public health. The program allows fellows to gain practical, hands-on experience addressing critical public health challenges with the support of an experienced team. More than an internship or practicum, the length of the program and full-time nature of the experience allow fellows to become integral contributors to the mission and vision of TDH.

Based in Nashville, the fellowship provides exposure to the diversity and depth of work performed in a state health department. Along the way, fellows serve as core members of the TDH team.

The Position 

The Public Health Executive Fellowship is a one-year program that can be extended for a potential second year. During the first year, the fellow serves primarily in a home office, where the fellow will serve as a full-time team member alongside seasoned public health professionals. If TDH and the fellow mutually agree to a second year, the fellow will continue to serve in the home office while pursuing a capstone project. Previous projects have included a detailed history of TDH’s response to the opioid epidemic, literature reviews, and the development of resources and recommended practices for TDH programs. Previous fellows developed deliverables that were presented to the Governor and state legislature.

Fellows will apply to a home office based on their individual career goals and interests. The home office will be the primary factor in determining the fellow’s responsibilities and projects. The fellow’s work plan is also tailored to support professional growth along their desired career path. The Division of Communicable and Environmental Diseases and Emergency Preparedness, Division the of Family Health and Wellness (Injury Prevention Section), and the Office of Primary Prevention are the 2025 - 2026 home offices available.

Through work with these home offices, Fellows develop professionally across the eight domains of the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals as set by the Public Health Foundation (PHF).

PHF Competencies Developed
Data Analytics and Assessment Skills
Communication Skills
Health Equity Skills
Community Partnership Skills
Public Health Sciences Skills
Management and Finance Skills
Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills

2025 - 2026 Home Office Descriptions:

UPDATE (July 24, 2025)
This fellowship position with CEDEP has been updated from the original posting. Please read the new description carefully.

Description of Program Area/Role:

The CEDEP section (including HIV, sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis, and syndemic coordination programs) is responsible for conducting disease surveillance, investigating clusters, and coordinating prevention efforts statewide to mitigate impacts from these diseases. Section leadership, Dr. Carpenter (section director) and Dr. Thomas (medical director), cover all programs and each subject area also has a designated program director. The Fellow will report directly to Drs. Thomas and Carpenter and be assigned various responsibilities and projects throughout the section. Assignment within the section will provide career development and mentorship in various areas including epidemiologic and qualitative analyses, public health response, and disease program management. The assignment provides flexibility for the Fellow to accommodate specific interests while also incorporating a diversity of key responsibilities.

Responsibilities/Competencies:

  • Lead special projects as assigned for the section (e.g., assessment of doxyPEP use, evaluation of mpox vaccine availability).
  • Complete analytic activities supporting disease surveillance, with an emphasis on syphilis and hepatitis C.
  • Complete a surveillance system evaluation to include detailed analysis, disease program review, and recommendations.
  • Participate fully in response activities as they arise such as during outbreaks, clusters, and other situations of public health concern.
  • Integrate into the STI Disease Investigation Team.
  • Complete a review and plan for enhancing communication between CEDEP programs and metropolitan health departments.
  • Submit at least one abstract to a conference and one brief report or manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Masters-trained (e.g., MPH) or higher candidate.
  • Skills in data management and analysis, professional writing, collaborative work style, and communication.
  • Open to working in a cross-cutting manner with multiple program activities.

Description of Program Area/Role:

The Injury Prevention Section, housed within the Division of Family Health and Wellness (FHW), monitors injury trends across the life course and analyzes data to understand the factors contributing to fetal, infant, and child deaths in Tennessee. The team works to reduce future harm by coordinating and implementing evidence-based programs in collaboration with systems, communities and individuals.   

Responsibilities/Competencies:

  • Lead the implementation of various infant safe sleep initiatives, including relaunching the Hospital Safe Sleep Project and developing a safe sleep training curriculum for the Department.
  • Support various suicide prevention initiatives, such as overseeing the weekly dissemination of TDH ESSENCE alerts to subscribers and delivery training on the ESSENCE system and rapid response planning and/or Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR).
  • Oversee the Safe Stars Initiative by promoting the program amongst youth sports organizations, providing technical assistance to applicants, certifying eligible organizations, maintaining the participant list, and updating the program webpage.
  • Support efforts within the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) program to better serve veterans affected by TBI by assessing gaps, strengthening partnerships, and increasing awareness.


Minimum Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in public health, health administration, health sciences, social work, or a related field; however, a master’s degree in public health, health administration, or a related field is preferred.
  • Flexible and responsive to evolving programmatic needs.
  • Knowledge of or willingness to learn evidence-based injury prevention strategies.
  • Public speaking and presentation skills.
  • Strong interpersonal skills that promote successful collaboration and partnership building.
  • Demonstrated ability to write for diverse audiences.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
  • Interest in gaining proficiency with Canva for visual communication.

Description of Program Area/Role:

The Office of Primary Prevention is housed within the Population Health Column and works to address the non-clinical and environmental factors that impact the health of communities. The office oversees initiatives at the intersection of the built environment and public health, including administering the department’s Healthy Built Environments grant program, supporting the work of seven regional Healthy Development Coordinators, and working across the department and with external partners to improve access to active transportation, parks and greenspace, affordable housing, and healthy food. The office also provides resources related to workforce development, overseeing the department’s TRAIN learning management system and developing trainings to support staff in policy, systems, and environmental change efforts.

Responsibilities/Competencies:

  • Develop or support projects that facilitate the creation of healthy built environments, including Health Impact Assessment, community engagement, and policy briefs.
  • Assist with the development of trainings and educational resources to support primary prevention and population health efforts across the department.
  • Assist with the development and facilitation of interagency groups focused on livability, food and nutrition security, affordable housing, and outdoor recreation.


Minimum Qualifications:

  • Master’s Degree in public health, social sciences, public policy, or related field.
  • Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal, teamwork, and relationship-building skills.
  • Intermediate level proficiency in MS Office and MS Excel. REDCap and GIS experience a plus but not required.

Eligibility:
Graduation from an accredited Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral program in public health or health-related field within the last twelve months and prior to the start of the Fellowship (November).

Compensation:
Each fellow will receive a base salary of $48,204 with State of Tennessee benefits and with the potential of an increase in salary if offered a second year. Information on the benefits available to state employees can be found HERE.

Questions? Contact the Academic Health Department Director: Casie Higginbotham, casie.higginbotham@tn.gov