Chandra Behr

Health Informatics Student Organization (HISO) featured member: 

Chandra Behr, HISO president

Degree: Master of Health Informatics ’26

What’s your elevator pitch for your organization? 

Our mission is to cultivate a vibrant community where MHI students connect, collaborate and grow as leaders shaping the future of health informatics.

Who can become a member, and how? 

All MHI students are automatically members. While our main purpose is to support MHI students, we often host events that involve other grad students interested in health care and technology. There is no formal membership application.

What drew you in? 

During my first year in the MHI program, I noticed that there were not as many events catered to students interested in health informatics. I saw HISO as an opportunity to build community within MHI and host events where students can grow professionally, as well.

If your organization had a theme song, what would it be and why? 

That’s a hard one — maybe “Titanium” by David Guetta and Sia? We’ve built a strong foundation as an organization, so it would take a lot to bring us down! (I’m sorry that was so cheesy.) 

What are your top events or activities? 

Our most popular events this year were our internship panel, which featured second-year MHI students sharing their internship experiences and advice; a corn maze event where we ate cider and donuts and tried to escape a corn maze off campus; and our first-ever industry dinner that brought students together with professionals in the field. I hope all three of these events become an annual thing. 

What does participation look like week-to-week? 

Board members meet weekly to discuss event progress and planning. General members show up to our monthly events. One cool thing we started this year is getting involved with the UMSI program Student Organization-Engaged Learning Leaders to lead some community-based data projects, which is another way for members to get involved!

As a student leader, what are you proudest of? 

I am extremely proud of the work my team and I put in this year. We hosted more than six new events, started a partnership with the health informatics organization HIMSS Michigan, got involved with two data projects with SO-ELL, and so much more. It has been extremely rewarding to see how much we have grown as an organization in just one year. I can’t wait to see how next year’s leaders carry on the progress we’ve made. 

What do members gain from joining? 

You get to be a part of a vibrant student community that loves all things health care and technology! We also create spaces for students to connect with professionals outside of the university, which is a great way to build your network. 

What’s a favorite memory from your time in your organization? 

My favorite memory was eating apple cider donuts and hanging out at our corn maze event. It was so much fun getting to know everyone and take cute photos. 

Where can I learn more? 

If you would like to get involved, you can email us at [email protected]!