Bob Graham Center for Public Service

This was the second in our summertime ‘Careers in Public Service’ series with recent Gator grads who are now professionals in public health and science-related careers.

You can watch a recording of this event here.

Students got to talk to these grads and learn more about this growing niche in the public service sector and the internships, fellowships and jobs they can expect to find. We had an all-star lineup of panelists!

Our panelists included Chris Battista, co-founder and principal with Plainspoken Digital, a data analytics firm; Maya Punjwani, a communications associate with the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign; and Caroline Nickerson, a program manager with SciStarter and the executive assistant with the UF-VA UNESCO Bioethics unit.

	Chris Battista Chris is a data science leader and nonprofit innovator with an interest in improving public health through science. He co-founded and leads Florida Community Innovation, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit startup dedicated to building neglected public infrastructure while providing career growth opportunities to underserved communities. He also founded Plainspoken, a digital consultancy focused on using data analytics and smart communication strategies to help businesses grow and meet their communities' needs. He received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida and is currently pursuing a Master of Bioengineering at the University of California – Berkeley.
	Caroline Nickerson Caroline graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a double major in history and Chinese. She went on to complete a Master of Public Policy at American University where she was a Reilly Environmental Policy Scholar, an honor conferred by Bill Reilly, the former director of the Environmental Protection Agency. She continues to serve as the Executive Assistant for the UF-VA UNESCO Bioethics Unit as well as volunteer with the University of Florida Psychiatry Department through the Christensen Project. She is a founder of the Commission on Local Debates and planned four debates for local elections in Orange County, Florida in 2020. Caroline currently manages SciStarter's Syndicated Blog Network, which encompasses the Science Connected, Discover Magazine, and others. Along with friends from the Bob Graham Center, she is a co-founder and board member of Florida Community Innovation where she manages partnerships to help underserved Floridians reach the resources they need. She will return to the University of Florida in the Fall of 2021 as a PhD student in Agricultural Education & Communication.
	Maya Punjwani Maya is Communications Associate for the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life vaccine advocacy campaign. She is from Miami, FL, and studied journalism and public health at the University of Florida. Prior to her current job, she was a Global Health Communications intern at the UN Foundation and advance staff for Biden for President. Maya previously interned at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Correspondence and for Michelle Obama at the personal office of Barack and Michelle Obama. In college, Maya was a Student Fellow and Director of Special Projects at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service. After graduating in 2020, she helped launch the group Florida Alliance for Response to Epidemics (FARE) with other Bob Graham Center graduates. Maya hosts a podcast called Uncharted 20s, about navigating post-grad life in your twenties, with another fellow Bob Graham Center alumna.