Rupa Valdez

Rupa is a PhD student in the University of Wisconsin’s Industrial and Systems Engineering department, and is focusing on Health Systems Engineering. Her PhD minor is in Cultural Anthropology. Prior to graduate school, Rupa spent two years working for the Center for Quality and Productivity Improvement and the Leapfrog Group. During graduate school she has worked for the RAND Corporation and Dean Health Systems and has volunteered as an Emergency Medical Technician for Blooming Grove, Burke, and Maple Bluff EMS. Rupa has also been involved with multiple student organizations, most recently as President for the Health Systems Engineering Association (HSEA).

Rupa’s research focuses on developing design strategies for culturally-informed consumer health IT. Her primary advisor is Dr. Patricia Flatley Brennan. Rupa has been funded by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s University Fellowship, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholars Dissertation Grant.

Rupa enjoys spending time with family and friends, gardening, biking, and traveling.