Welcome New CEPH Staff

We are excited to welcome Christina Schechtman, Olivia Briggs, and Iris Teta to the Center for Excellence in Public Health! Read their introductions and learn more about their backgrounds below.

Christina Schechtman joins CEPH as the Workforce Development Program Coordinator. She has a background in community engagement, public relations, and prevention, having previously worked in the community mental health and higher education fields. She is trained as a community counselor and communications specialist and enjoys handling large projects that have a community impact. Originally from the Midwest, she currently lives in Topsham with her husband and son.

Olivia Briggs, MPH has over 7 years of experience working in health and education assessment, evaluation, and research. She is currently an evaluator for two health workforce programs at UNE: the Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). She brings a breadth of experience in evaluation and program improvement, including expertise in primary and secondary data collection, analysis, and reporting. She began her undergraduate career on a pre-med track, but quickly fell in love with public health after taking a sociology course. Prior to joining the University of New England and the AHEC team, Olivia earned her master’s in public health (MPH) from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, with a concentration in social and behavioral sciences. In her free time, she enjoys cheering on her favorite soccer teams, playing tennis, kayaking, and exploring her new home, Portland.

Iris Teta Joins the CEPH team as the new project assistant for AHEC. Iris graduated this past May from the University of Southern Maine with a Bachelor’s in public health and a minor in holistic integrative health. During her time at USM, Iris worked as a Sustainable Transportation Specialist. She really enjoys baking, reading, and watching movies (and reviewing them too!). She was born in Rwanda but has lived all over the U.S.