University of Nebraska-Lincoln alumna Emily Schlichting was named to Forbes’ “30 under 30 Healthcare” list for her contributions to access to health care.

As a health care honoree, Schlicting, a 2012 graduate of the university, joins “600 of the brightest young entrepreneurs, innovators and game changers across 20 industries,” according to the national publication.

Since graduating, Schlichting has worked in public health policy in Washington, D.C., beginning with a fellowship in the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. She worked on rural health care issues across the country, including the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in rural areas. She then worked as legislative aide for then-Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa before moving to the Department of Health and Human Services. There, she was the special assistant for discretionary health programs in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, and now is chief of staff and advisor to the assistant secretary.

During her time at DHHS, Schlichting worked on the confirmation of FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and assisted in negotiating the 21st Century Cures Act, which was passed and signed into law in December 2016.

While a student at Nebraska, Schlichting, of Omaha, testified before a Senate committee regarding the Affordable Health Care Act. She became an advocate for health care after being diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder Behcet’s disease during her freshman year of college.

Schlichting, who double-majored in political science and communication studies during her time in Lincoln, said her education and the opportunities at Nebraska helped her forge a path in public health.

“I learned ins and outs of politics, government and communication in the College of Arts and Sciences,” Schlichting said. “As a member of the speech and debate team, I improved my ability to quickly process information and turn it into a digestible, convincing argument. My time in ASUN (student government) as an upperclassman put those skills to the test and taught me about building consensus in a legislative body.”

Schlichting’s next step is a graduate program with a joint emphasis on business and health policy, which will allow her to utilize the prestigious Truman Scholarship she earned at Nebraska.

“I am excited to go back and dive deep into the intersection of health care and business,” she said.