Ph.D. candidate Jennifer Walsh has been named the 2023 Judy Yin Shih Fellow.
The Judy Yin Shih Fellowship for the Advancement of Health Policy Research was established in 2022 to assist School of Public Policy doctoral candidates in devoting the necessary time and attention toward the expeditious completion of their dissertation in the field of health policy.
Dr. Judy Yin Shih is a 2002 School of Public Policy alumna, with a focus on health policy. Dr. Shih’s dissertation examined the impact of an intensive case management program on health care costs and service utilization for a Medicaid population of children with rare and expensive medical conditions. Prior to her doctorate, she worked as a master-level clinician at Johns Hopkins Medical School, Sinai Hospital, and in a private practice. While earning her doctoral degree, Dr. Shih served as a senior research analyst with what is now The Hilltop Institute. After graduation, she took the position of project director at JBS International, where Dr. Shih directed the implementation of evaluation projects focused on federally funded health care programs across the nation. Dr. Shih is active in community and philanthropic endeavors, and has served on several boards including the inaugural Board of Trustees for Southern Oregon University, the American Association of University Women (Ashland Branch), the Johns Hopkins Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Advisory Board, and the Marquette University Arts and Sciences College Leadership Council. In addition to her Ph.D., Dr. Shih has a B.S. in psychology from Iowa State University and a M.S. in clinical psychology from Marquette University.
Jennifer Walsh is a Ph.D candidate within the School of Public Policy at UMBC with a focus on health policy, the same track Dr. Shih pursued. Jennifer also bears other similarities to Dr. Shih including having a B.S. in psychology and a M.S. in clinical psychology. They both were also master-level clinicians at Johns Hopkins Hospital for a point in their career. Jennifer is currently the Senior Disability Coordinator in the Accessibility & Disability Services office at Towson University, working full-time as Dr. Shih did while consecutively earning her doctoral degree. Jennifer’s research is focused on the Opioid Epidemic, particularly how Naloxone distribution programs are implemented in Maryland. She hopes her research will provide insight into how the programs can target the populations who are most at risk of opioid overdoses and distribute Naloxone more effectively.
