Hello all, my name is Andrea Guggenbickler (she/her/hers). My partner and I live in Woodland, CA with our three cats (Butters, Toast, and Doctor Professor Stripey Pants). I graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Global Disease Biology in 2018. During my time as a Global Disease Biology student I focused my research and studies on both GDB and public health efforts- specifically Herpes Simplex Virus 2 vaccine development research and menstrual hygiene product access research. In the interim between my undergraduate graduation and starting my masters program I spent two years working in the GDB advising office, doing my best to help students find success through coursework, advising, and research. Helping students achieve their academic and personal dreams, teaching the You n’ Research course, and helping start the GDB student pantry are the things I remember most fondly from my time as the GDB major advisor. To me, Global Disease Biology represents opportunity, achievement, work ethic, friendship, teamwork, and community- not only in the Davis area, but also a global community and network. 

Since graduating from the Global Disease Biology program in 2018 I completed my Masters in Public Health at UC Davis in 2021, and am now currently working toward my PhD in Public Health Sciences, also at UC Davis. My Masters research focused on sexual assault prevention and education, and I worked closely with the Center for Advocacy, Resources & Education to help create a thematic analysis report and recommendation report to present to campus leaders. Now, as a PhD student at UC Davis I am continuing my research in sexual assault prevention, as well as exploring research in K-12 Comprehensive Sexual Education, sex education disparities, and LGBTQ+ health. I have TA’d for several undergraduate courses, including SAS 13 and GDB 102, and I hope to continue fostering my love of teaching and research by pursuing a post-doc and faculty position at UC Davis. My education in the Global Disease Biology program prepared me well for my academic, research and professional endeavors. The network I created, study habits I formed, and knowledge I gained during my time as a GDB major have greatly benefited me in my academic and professional careers. I hope you all are doing well in this Winter Quarter, and I hope to maybe run into you all on campus this next quarter!