Academics

Nursing doctoral student selected as CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer

Cara Bicking Kinsey, a doctoral student in Penn State’s College of Nursing, has been selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer for the Class of 2014.

EIS is a two-year postgraduate training program of service and on-the-job learning for health professionals with a strong interest in applied epidemiology and a commitment to public service. Every year, between 70 and 80 people are selected and assigned to positions in the CDC or state/local health departments. Physicians, doctoral-level scientists and medical professionals with a master’s degree in public health (or equivalent education) are eligible to apply for the program.

EIS officers conduct epidemiologic investigations, research, and public health surveillance both nationally and internationally. Since 1951, more than 3,000 EIS officers have responded to requests for epidemiologic assistance in the United States and throughout the world.

“EIS offers a unique opportunity to learn and practice applied epidemiology as an important member of the CDC team,” said EIS Acting Chief Diana M. Bensyl. “EIS officers serve in many important roles, such as leading field investigations; conducting epidemiologic analyses of databases; and designing, implementing, and evaluating surveillance systems. EIS is an intense, high-energy program whose model is training through service.”

Bicking Kinsey will begin her two-year CDC appointment in July. A student in both the Nursing Ph.D. program and the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) program, she is a staff nurse at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where she has more than eight years of experience in neonatal intensive care. Bicking Kinsey’s dissertation, titled “Effect of Prior Perinatal Loss on Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Maternal-Infant Bonding,” focuses on the experiences of pregnant women and new mothers with a history of miscarriage, compared with those who had no previous perinatal loss. Her studies are supported by a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Nursing Research.

Cara Bicking Kinsey is a doctoral student in Penn State's College of Nursing. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated January 10, 2014