Samba R. Pathak

Samba R. Pathak (he/him/his) is the Program Manager, Interim Lab Manager, and Administrative Operations Specialist. Pathak also serves as a co-chair of the inaugural CPH Staff Council. Pathak hit his third anniversary at Mason in January 2024 and is excited to continue his journey in the College of Public Health and School of Nursing.

His exploration into public health was an accident! In 2021, he joined the Department of Safety, Emergency, and Enterprise Risk Management (SEERM), focusing on onsite personnel management, logistics, and operations for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Following the successful impact on the Mason community, SEERM wanted to focus on providing health access to communities with barriers to obtaining the vaccine. From there, Pathak was a part of the planning team and a site admin dedicated to coordinating mobile initiatives where we could set up a COVID clinic in a van and go into the community to provide that continued access.

COVID introduced him to a new world and employed a new scope. Following the decline in vaccine demand later that year, Pathak joined the Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinics team. It focused on re-organizing MAP Clinic resources and helping the transition back into the standard in-person bridge care the clinic sites provided. Since then, Pathak's role has expanded toward delivering project management and operational support on grant projects, including Public Health AmeriCorps, VDH Latent Tuberculosis Infection Project, and Empowered Communities. Pathak also spends time coordinating administrative operations across all MAP Clinic sites and the Population Health Center on the Fairfax campus, as well as managing lab compliance for the CPH Peterson Hall Labs managed by the Office of Research.

That said, Pathak's background didn't revolve around healthcare before coming to Mason. Pathak holds an MA in Arts Management and a BA in Theatre. That's very different than public health! Before his time at Mason, Pathak worked extensively in theatre production and marketing for creative enterprises. He was the director of marketing, PR, and communications for theatre companies and small businesses specializing in product merchandising. His primary focus was working on brand awareness, marketing campaigns for individualized musical productions, and data analytics management. He continues to work on freelance projects to support theatrical innovation and brand development.

Pathak is also an active award-winning stage manager practicing in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. When it comes to theatre, he's not the on-stage type of person, but he enjoys the active environment within rehearsals, the stress/fun of technical and dress rehearsals, and calling cues during performances.

You're probably thinking about how the arts and public health go together… and Pathak's thinking the same question! Having consistent exposure to both realms, his capstone revolves around maintaining community engagement and access for all. Whether it be access to health services or art forms, it should be available to communities. He's also exploring creative art therapies, specifically drama therapy, to see how that can continue to make a difference in the intersection of his two worlds.

Degrees:

• MA, Arts Management, George Mason University
• BA, Theatre – Theatre Studies – Stage and Production Management, George Mason University

Research Involvement

• “Latent TB Project [LTBI] (Virginia Department of Health),” Harvey, M. (Principal Investigator). January 2022 - January 2025. Role: Project Coordinator

• "Empowered Communities Opioid Project (ECOP)," Virginia Department of Health (Prime: DHHS CPIMP171154). Sutter, R. (Principal Investigator), June 2020 - February 2023. Role: Administrative Support Staff.

• “Mason and Partners Free Health Clinic General Operating [MAP Clinic] (Potomac Health Foundation),” Sutter, R (Principal Investigator). Role: Administrative Operations Specialist.

• “Public Health AmeriCorps,” Sutter, R. and Wojtusiak, J. (Principal Investigator), August 2022. Role: Program Manager.

• "Nurse Education Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR)," HRSA UK1HP31716. Sutter, R. (Principal Investigator), July 2020 - June 2022. Role: Administrative Support Staff

• Public Health AmeriCorps

• Medication-Assisted Treatment [MAT MOUD] (Northern Virginia Health Foundation)

• The Community Opioid Project (Potomac Health Foundation)

Awards

• Best Drama for The Road to the End, D.C. Capital Fringe Festival, 2023

• Excellence in Academic and Artistic Achievement - Outstanding Achievement in the Major, George Mason University, 2023

Professional Affiliations 

• Operational Member, Buckhall Volunteer Fire Department (BVFD)

• Member, National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) 

• Member, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 

• Member, Project Management Institute (PMI) 

• Member, Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society (APO)