Summer Rak

Summer Rak

PhD Candidate in Health Policy (G6, Methods for Policy Research)

Summer Rak graduated from Johns Hopkins University with degrees in Public Health Studies and Biology, and a minor in Spanish Language. Following graduation, she went on to earn a MSPH in Health Policy and a certificate in Health Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. While obtaining her masters, Summer was awarded the David A. Winston Health Policy Scholarship, which recognizes achievement and leadership in the health policy field. She went on to work at the USDA Economic Research Service in the Food Economics Division assisting a team of economist and nutritionists analyzing data collected from the National School Lunch Program on food purchases, costs, nutrient content, and geographical characteristics. Most recently, she was a research assistant at the Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy and Clinical Practice. Her work focused on the effect of payment and delivery reforms, specifically the ACO model, on disparities in care. Summer’s primary research interests lie in evaluating the quality of safety-net programs and health care for historically excluded populations, and understanding key methodological challenges faced when evaluating policy.

Year in Program

Dissertation Committee Member