Erika Collins, M.H.A.

Erika Collins earned her Master of Health Administration from Saint Louis University in 2024. While enrolled in her master’s program, Erika was a graduate intern at UT Southwestern Medical Center in the Nursing Ambulatory Department. In this role, she was responsible for finding home health vendors who specialized in updating Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service policies to streamline policy information and ensure state compliance. Additionally, she built a Task Tracker to improve medical office assistant training to clarify responsibilities and help prioritize tasks during downtime. As a graduate student, Erika gained experience in public health research as a research assistant investigating COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among African American and Black populations. Prior to her graduate studies, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a minor in Sociology from the University of North Texas in 2021.

Marcus Peña, M.H.A.

Marcus Peña earned his Master of Health Administration at Texas A&M University in 2024. While enrolled in his master’s program, Marcus was an Administrative Intern at Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth. In this role, he worked with key leaders on a capital asset audit and a par recalibration project with the materials management team. Marcus’ other professional experience includes serving as a Physical Therapy program admissions advisor through Texas A&M’s Office of Professional School Advising, as well as a Medical Data Analyst at Brazos Spine in College Station, Texas. Alongside his studies, Marcus competed in several MHA case competitions across the country. Prior to pursuing his graduate degree, Marcus completed his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Public Health at Texas A&M University.