Honors alumna Stacy-Boddapati leads with heart in public health

Ashley Stacy-Boddapati, a 2014 graduate of East Carolina University, recalls her time as a Pirate with nostalgia, noting that the Honors College experience and nursing coursework equipped her for the ups and downs of serving as a public health nurse. She said that while ECU’s strong academic programs drew her in, the support of the Honors College scholarship and community solidified her choice to attend ECU, ultimately joining her father as an alum.

“I chose ECU because they made me feel the most valued as a potential student,” Stacy-Boddapati said.

From the start of her first year, Stacy-Boddapati knew she wanted to pursue a career in nursing. Her goal of becoming a labor and delivery nurse came true, and she is now completing her Master of Public Health (MPH) at Brown University. Additionally, she recalled that both the nursing staff and students at ECU offered constant support and encouragement throughout the bachelor program and created a smooth transition toward professional practices.

“While it’s impossible for nursing school to teach you everything you will see in the field, you will leave ECU with a solid foundation of clinical experiences and the ability to think critically to prioritize patient needs.”

As part of the first cohort to graduate under the official title of Honors College alumni, Stacy-Boddapati continues to keep in touch with staff and her fellow alumni. She greatly respects the growth and reputation her cohort helped build.

“I consider the Honors College a hidden gem within the UNC system. As an alumna, I love seeing the ‘Got Hooked’ series and student Instagram takeovers,” she said.

While she notes that nursing can be tough, Stacy-Boddapati encourages students to ask questions and build a supportive team around themselves, which ultimately will be skills that carry into professional practice. As an honors student and member of Omicron Delta Kappa, her extracurriculars focused heavily on cultivating leadership qualities. Bringing these assets to the real world while working as a nurse at Duke Hospital, Stacy-Boddapati applied these skills by serving as a leader on multiple unit committees for quality improvement initiatives over the past ten years.

“By embracing leadership roles on campus, I gained the confidence to be a leader in my nursing career,” Stacy-Boddapati reflected.

Today, Stacy-Boddapati finds her work in the public health sector deeply rewarding. As a Nurse Consultant for Poisoning Prevention at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, she directs initiatives toward protecting children, who are especially vulnerable to hazards.

“I work with a team of incredible epidemiologists and environmental health specialists to track children with elevated lead levels and ensure they receive proper interventions and follow-up,” she said.

Working remotely from her home in Durham, she reviews test results, answers questions, and leads outreach to clinics to expand research efforts. She also designs training and presentations to educate both professionals and parents on managing and preventing exposure risks.

“Together we have formed the Clean Spice Initiative with a goal to educate community members and clinicians about the risk of lead exposure in imported products commonly used in South Asian and Middle Eastern communities,” Stacy-Boddapati said.

Her passion for public health traces back to her senior thesis — now known as the Signature Honors Project — under the mentorship of Dr. Kim Larson in the College of Nursing. That project, which partnered with county health departments, connected closely with themes discussed in the Eastern NC Healthcare Challenges honors course taught by Dr. Paul Bolin and Dr. Cynthia Christiano.

“While I appreciated those experiences at the time, I value them even more now that I have transitioned from direct patient care to population health,” she said.

Looking back, Stacy-Boddapati hopes fellow Pirates will pursue their goals with a purpose. After working as a bedside nurse, a nurse educator, and in clinical research, she recognizes that each opportunity allowed her to gain valuable skills that guided her toward a career she genuinely enjoys and plans to continue long term.

“College is a time to explore your interests, so take the internship and join the club, but know that it’s okay to end up on an unexpected path!” Stacy-Boddapati encouraged.