About Us

Marion Granger

President

Marion is currently a 3rd year PhD candidate in Epidemiology and specializes in maternal, fetal, and infant disease and health outcomes. Marion’s family has been impacted by high risk pregnancies which has driven her passion for becoming a researcher in this area. In her free time Marion likes to go on outdoor adventures, read, and pet her cats. 

President-Elect

Vacant

Lathika Chaluvadi

Secretary

Lathika Chaluvadi is a sophomore Public Health B.S. major with a minor in Business Administration on the pre-med track. Her interest in maternal and child health has stemmed from her public health classes and experience shadowing OB/GYN physicians, which has made her aware of the disparities in healthcare. In the future, she hopes to get her MD/MPH and become a patient-centered physician focused on addressing healthcare inequalities in the system. Lathika is super excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to see what we accomplish together this year!

Megan Austin

Treasurer

Megan Austin is a South Carolina native who received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health and a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (HPEB) at the University of South Carolina. She is now a third-year PhD candidate in HPEB who is passionate about improving maternal and child and sexual and reproductive health disparities in the American South. Megan works as the Qualitative Study Coordinator for a nationwide study in the Department of Epidemiology and her dissertation is focused on sex education and the influence on sexual behaviors in South Carolina. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching rom-coms, and spending time outdoors hiking or laying by the lake.

Anajae’ Curry

Director of Communications

Anajae’ Curry is a Public Health major with a focus in research, nutrition, and Pre-PA. She is from Aiken, SC a small city right next to the border of Georgia. Her interest to be a part of the Maternal and Child Health field stems from her own mother’s experience as a first-time mom to premature twins! Anajae’ hopes that as a healthcare professional, she can influence those in medicine to focus on prevention strategies rather than temporary treatment ideas that potentially hurt clients to improve their overall health.

Utba Rashid

Director of Graduate Student Outreach

Utba is currently pursuing his PhD in Epidemiology, with a specific focus on maternal and child health, particularly perinatal epidemiology and maternal health disparities. In his leisure time, Utba enjoys discovering new music, watching movies, and traveling.

Ebony Christie

Director of Undergraduate Student Outreach

Ebony Christie is a junior Public Health major on the pre-med track from Columbia, South Carolina, with aspirations of becoming an OB/GYN and maternal and child health advocate. Her journey towards this goal was ignited during a health promotion course where she and her partner, Syndey Barber, focused their semester project on the Black maternal mortality rate in South Carolina. This experience propelled her to seek opportunities to deepen her understanding of maternal and child health, leading her to join the Maternal and Child Health Student Association. Ebony’s passion also influenced City of Columbia, Councilman Dr. Aditi Bussell’s efforts to establish the first inaugural Black Maternal Health Week in Columbia where she was recognized on April 5th at City Hall for her contribution. She eagerly anticipates her new role and the opportunity to provide guidance and support to undergraduate students interested in maternal and child health.

Avery Williams

Website Administrator & Coordinator

Avery Williams is a junior public health major who will graduate in May 2025! She is from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Avery enjoys musical theatre, watching all kinds of entertainment or content, and modeling!