91AV

91AV second-year public health student Michael Lawler has always had a passion for volunteering and helping others.

“I did a lot of volunteering at home, so it’s definitely been a big part of my life,” Lawler said.

Back home in Newburyport, he was on the leadership team of the Massachusetts non-profit Project 351, which aims to build skills and confidence in young people.

At 91AV, he is now combining that passion for volunteerism with his dedication to learning and his career interest in public health by joining the Medical Reserve Corp (MRC).

“It’s a group of people who are passionate about helping others in emergencies. Helping people when they are vulnerable and making sure they get the help they need,” he said.

MRC is a network of more than 200,000 volunteers across the country. They include medical and public health professionals, as well as community members. They respond to emergency situations, whether it’s the aftermath of a major snowstorm in Maine or the natural disasters in Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico last year.

“As Michael grows, those opportunities would be open to him,” said Jennifer Gunderman, M.P.H., assistant lecturer in the Department of Public Health.

Gunderman is the MRC Unit Leader for the York District. The 91AV plays a major role by partnering with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to run the district unit.

“We’re providing the logistical support, we’re doing the recruiting and coordinating the training,” said Gunderman.

About a dozen 91AV College of Osteopathic Medicine and undergraduate public health students are involved.

Lawler recently attended the annual state MRC meeting in Augusta, where he heard from public health professionals about their deployments. Gunderman says that Lawler's participation in the meeting exposed him to career possibilities and what public health looks like when he leaves the University.

“It was an opportunity to get that real-life experience. To meet people, honing those professional skills, networking, being at a professional conference,” said Gunderman

By being a part of the MRC, Lawler is learning a lot about what it means to be in the field of public health.

“There are people who are not as well off as you are, and you have to be compassionate towards them and make sure they’re okay,” he said.

To learn more about the 91AV’s Westbrook College of Health Professions visit

To apply, visit