“My interdisciplinary training at Berkeley prepared me for working across disciplines and sectors as a way to understand and solve public health problems.”

Judith Hibbard DrPH ’82 is a professor emerita of Health Policy at the University of Oregon. Her work focuses on consumer decision-making and how consumers, through their choices and actions, can have improved health and a higher quality of care. She is the lead author of the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), which has been translated into 35 different languages and is being used worldwide to improve care.

Secrets for success

My interdisciplinary training at Berkeley prepared me for working across disciplines and sectors as a way to understand and solve public health problems. I took this interdisciplinary approach into my research, working with colleagues from other disciplines, and this has been fundamental to my ability to conduct studies that inform policy and practice.

“Berkeley moment”

The freedom to explore the richness of what the Berkeley campus has to offer and blend that with my excellent public health classes.