Olivia Vaz

Since joining Newman in 2018 and the staff in 2019, Olivia has served her community through various roles in the parish.  These have included event set-up, cantor, database researcher, landscaper, member of the Re-Newman Squad, staff gofer, and current sacristan.  She also serves on the Parish Council as a representative for the UNC graduate student population, a role she very much enjoys. 

Outside of Newman, Olivia is a 4th-year Ph.D. Student at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, studying Infectious Disease and Vaccine Epidemiology.  A published author, her research has included vaccination legislation, cervical cancer prevention, COVID-19 treatment, and autoimmune diseases with GlaxoSmithKline.  She completed undergraduate studies at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, and holds a Master of Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.  A trained pianist, Olivia also enjoys houseplants, her pet turtle (Dr. Turtle), pub trivia, hiking, and running, and is an accomplished home baker.