Student Epidemic Action Leaders (SEAL) Team
The Department of Epidemiology’s SEAL Team provides students with experience in applied epidemiology through methods training and field assignments at state and local health departments.
How do I join?
Applications for the 2025-2026 academic year will open October 8, 2025. Check back here for application materials.
We will be holding an online, informal information session about the Student Epidemic Action Leaders (SEAL) Team on Wednesday, October 8, from 5:00-6:00 PM PST to kick off the upcoming application cycle.
The link for the information session is: https://washington.zoom.us/j/93822724625
Masters and PhD level students in any department in the School of Public Health can check here for application materials. There are no prerequisite classes.
What does the SEAL Team do?
SEALs will attend in-person meetings and complete at-home assignments to develop knowledge and skills in communicable disease and applied epidemiology. All training activities will prepare SEALs to sign up for field assignments at the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and local health jurisdictions (LHJs) where they will assist in outbreak investigations and other public health preparedness and response activities. The nature of the field assignments will depend entirely on what real public health issues are affecting our community.
What is the time commitment?
SEALs will enroll in EPI 594 in the Winter, Spring, and Fall quarters. They will also have the option of taking a public health surveillance course (EPI 506) in Spring. During the Winter and Fall quarters, we will have weekly meetings. SEALs will begin signing up for field assignments in the Spring. During the Summer quarter, students will have the option to register for one credit, but can remain on the SEAL Team without registering. In Summer quarter, there will be no in-person meetings, but SEALs will still be expected to complete field assignments, regardless of registration status.
Is this for credit and can it count as my practicum?
The first quarter will count for 2 credits while subsequent quarters will each count for 1 credit. SEALs are not required to register for a summer credit, but can if they want. It may be possible to develop your SEAL Team commitment into a practicum, though this will be on a case by case basis.
For questions, please contact SEAL Team Director, Janet Baseman (jbaseman@uw.edu) or SEAL Team RA, Nicole Marshall (schwalbe@uw.edu).
