Mount Holyoke Alum Promotes Public Health
Eugenie Elie, a Posse alumna and 2016 graduate of Mount Holyoke College, is applying her skills in research and leadership to improve vital public services at both federal and local levels. She currently collaborates with engineers to modernize Medicare payment systems, helping ensure they better meet the needs of users.
Elie earned her degree in medical anthropology along with certificates in public health and African studies. Her interest in health and public systems stems from her lived experiences as a Haitian woman and deepened during her undergraduate years. At Mount Holyoke, she led the nonprofit project Hope of Haiti, advancing education initiatives in primary schools through community-based infrastructure projects. She later co-designed a pilot tooth-brushing program for youth in Kingston, Jamaica, in collaboration with community members, academic partners and local government, after research identified links between oral health and educational outcomes. These experiences helped shape her early focus on how systems can better serve communities.
Following graduation, Elie worked to advance health equity among youth in Philadelphia. She lobbied state officials to inform policies that directly affected students, including efforts to secure access to safe drinking water in schools. Her advocacy contributed to her appointment as a commissioner on the Mayor’s Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs, where she advises on issues affecting immigrant communities.
Elie is the founder of Eve of Strategy, a consulting and research firm supporting projects in health and government technology. She describes her role as that of an “uncoverer,” “connector” and “catalyzer,” helping organizations move from ideas to action while aligning teams around shared goals.
Her portfolio includes work with the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation at Georgetown University, where she has conducted research on digital and open-source approaches to public services, including unemployment insurance within the U.S. Department of Labor. She worked with Nava PBC on research examining survivor experiences during and after the California wildfires, with findings used by the governor’s office to inform disaster response and equitable service delivery.
Elie’s work reflects the impact Posse alumni are making across sectors, translating research and advocacy into systems change that benefits communities. Whether advising on health care, workforce development or government technology, she emphasizes a people-centered approach to public service.
Looking ahead, Elie plans to continue her efforts at the intersection of health, innovation and community impact. She said her guiding principles are to “center Spirit,” “promote serious fun” and “get into good trouble,” keeping her work grounded in service to others.