Keerthana Hogirala

The University of Chicago

Keerthana is passionate about leveraging technology to build integrated systems of essential services that address social determinants of health and combat health disparities to help people live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives. A Chicago-native, she is currently a first-year MBA/MPP student, Neubauer Civic Scholar, and Health Administration and Policy fellow at the University of Chicago. Prior to graduate school, Keerthana worked in central administration at the District of Columbia Public Schools where she co-led the agency’s COVID-19 response, overall operations, and eventual city-wide school reopening. In this capacity, she also managed the agency’s digital infrastructure and technology strategy. Before working in city government, she was a special education teacher at a Title 1 public school focused on child development, behavioral health, and trauma-informed care. Keerthana holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In her free time, you’ll find her exploring with her digital and film cameras, heading to concerts, hosting dinner parties, or spending as much time outdoors as possible.