Student Spotlight: Miller Finkelstein Awarded $10,000 HPMAA Scholarship

Congratulations to first-year EMPH student Miller Finkelstein, MA, a recipient of the 2026 UCLA Health Policy and Management Alumni Association (HPMAA) Scholarship. Miller has been awarded the $10,000 HPMAA Scholarship in recognition of his exceptional record in health services research and his potential for transformative leadership in healthcare policy and management.

Serving as a Research Data Scientist in the Women’s and Children’s Institute at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Miller currently supports multidisciplinary research examining patient experiences, healthcare communication, and decision-making tools related to prenatal genetic screening and diagnostic testing.

“My responsibilities include conducting and analyzing qualitative interviews, developing coding frameworks, managing and interpreting research data, and contributing to important research,” he said. “I also collaborate with clinicians, researchers, and project staff to translate patient and provider perspectives into findings that can improve healthcare communication and delivery.”

Last month, Miller published two first author articles with his research team and collaborators: “Trust As the Foundation for Informed Decision-Making in Prenatal Genetic Screening and Diagnostic Testing: A Qualitative Study” in the Journal of Health Expectation and “A Conceptual Roadmap toward Informed Prenatal Generic Screening and Diagnostic Testing: A Qualitative Study,” which is not yet accessible online as they’ve just received the proofs from the Journal of Medical Decisions Making.

Miller’s commitment to understanding system-level barriers began well before his time at Cleveland Clinic. Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Miller earned his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, Psychology, and Sociology from the University of Delaware before completing a Master of Arts in Sociology at Georgia State University. His master’s thesis—Bouncing Around the System: Youth Homelessness Service Provider Outreach Analysis—focused on outreach engagement and service accessibility for unhoused youth, solidifying his dedication to supporting populations whose needs are routinely overlooked by traditional systems.

Over the years, Miller’s research portfolio has touched on vital intersections of public health: reproductive health, youth homelessness, LGBTQ+ health equity, behavioral health, and community-based advocacy.

Now living in Los Angeles, Miller chose UCLA’s Executive MPH program in Health Policy and Management to expand his research background into executive healthcare leadership, strategic policy design, and program evaluation.

“The UCLA EMPH program offers an excellent opportunity to receive an incredible education from world-class faculty by developing my professional skills in the health care industry,” he said. “In addition to strengthening my knowledge of public health, the institutional support offered by the faculty to cultivate expertise in project management, quality improvement, and health care systems administration will be vital skills to have within this next era of healthcare innovation. I am eager to develop strengths in evaluation, reproductive & LGBTQ+ health advocacy, and e-health projects that drive innovation in patient care, democratize patient agency, and build adaptive learning opportunities.”

Looking toward the future, Miller envisions a career partnering with organizations that reimagine how public health frameworks serve communities.

“I want to be part of transformative research and policymaking that helps people thrive because of their access to healthcare, not in spite of it,” Miller shares. “I want to live in a world where our diagnoses do not dictate outcomes, but help us build better systems.”

“Receiving the HPMAA Scholarship is incredibly meaningful because it recognizes my commitment to improving healthcare through research and innovation,” he said. “My work has shown me how important it is for healthcare systems to be responsive to the needs and experiences of patients, and this scholarship strengthens my ability to pursue that mission.”

“Across every stage of my career,” he said, “I have been motivated by the belief that meaningful change begins with listening to people, understanding their experiences, and approaching them with empathy and respect. I am grateful for the confidence the HPMAA has placed in me and excited to continue growing as a public health leader.”

To learn more about the Executive Master of Public Health program at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, visit our EMPH Program Overview.