Empowered by Jesuit Values: Maggie Kroeff Streiff’s Mission to Improve the Health of Indiana’s Residents
Maggie Kroeff Streiff (PH ’19) felt a strong connection to the Jesuit call to become a “woman for others” for as long as she can remember, she said. After graduating from Saint Louis University with a bachelor’s degree in public health in 2019, she has continued to live what she learned as the quality and population health director at the Indiana Primary Health Care Association.
“Uplifting and centering others and their stories with a goal of social justice is important to me,” she said. “It’s how I live in the day-to-day and in my work in the nonprofit sector.”
Kroeff Streiff is responsible for supporting the 40-plus Indiana Community Health Centers that serve over 820,000 residents. She works with staff to implement quality improvement strategies, specifically by providing education on new and innovative best practices and by conducting data analysis. She began working in the field in 2021 after graduating with her Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois Chicago. She started at the association as a project assistant and, within six months, she was promoted to quality improvement and data coordinator. From August 2023 until June 2026, she served as the quality and population health director and was recently promoted to senior quality and population health director.
“Maggie is a perfect example of how graduates of the College for Public Health and Social Justice dedicate their work to creating healthier communities,” said its dean, Leslie McClure, Ph.D.
The Impact of 'Higher Purpose. Greater Good.'
Kroeff Streiff was familiar with Jesuit education because her father, Gene Kroeff, graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee. She toured many of the Jesuit schools in the Midwest and fell in love with SLU’s campus, location and mission, she said. She credits the University for instilling the values that guide her work.
“I really appreciate the University’s focus on servant leadership and making sure students are involved in the community around them,” she said. “That is not a common experience at many schools. I like that SLU is part of the St. Louis neighborhood and that it contributes to the surrounding areas in so many ways.”
Throughout her four years at SLU, Kroeff Streiff took full advantage of opportunities to join and give her time to several organizations and events, including Atlas Week, Alpha Sigma Nu, Kappa Alpha Theta, Christian Life Community-USA and the Order of Omega. Additionally, learning from top-tier instructors and researchers and gaining hands-on opportunities to expand real-world experience were also beneficial, she said.
“SLU’s curriculum was balanced, and the faculty encouraged my peers and me to step out of our comfort zones and engage with aspects of public health, such as policy or biostatistics, that I would otherwise not be invested in,” she said. “It also enabled me to feel confident in my Master of Public Health courses and provided me with the resources to explore new ventures in my career.”
While discerning, one of my professors told my class to ‘find what breaks your heart, and that will point you toward your purpose.’ That inspired me to pursue a master’s degree, focusing on maternal and child health, as the maternal and infant health crisis in our country continues to grow.”
Maggie Kroeff Streiff (PH ’19)
Kroeff Streiff said she understands the many options available to students pursuing a public health degree and how overwhelming it can be to focus on one or two areas. She encourages current Billikens and alumni to consider the same advice she received at SLU when choosing a career path.
“I was struggling to determine what area of public health to concentrate on when I graduated from SLU,” Kroeff Streiff said. “While discerning, one of my professors told my class to ‘find what breaks your heart, and that will point you toward your purpose.’ That inspired me to pursue a master’s degree, focusing on maternal and child health, as the maternal and infant health crisis in our country continues to grow.”
According to an April 2025 report by the Indiana University Public Policy Institute Center for Research on Inclusion & Social Policy, the United States continues to have the highest maternal mortality rate among the world’s wealthiest countries — despite over 80% of those deaths likely being preventable. In Indiana, the maternal mortality rate decreased from 22.9 to 17.5 deaths per 100,000 live births from 2020 to 2021. In 2024, the Indiana Department of Health reported that the state saw the lowest infant mortality rate since the 1900s.
Kroeff Streiff said she is incredibly proud to have chosen a career centered on ensuring that all Indiana residents have access to quality healthcare.
Her sense of purpose is echoed by others across the SLU community.
“Our alumni are dedicated to making quality healthcare accessible to all individuals, regardless of socioeconomic status,” McClure said. “They understand that improving individuals’ health also benefits communities and regions across the country and around the world. Maggie’s impact on people living in Indiana is profound, and we are grateful for her work as a SLU alumna.”
Kroeff Family Supports Public Health Students
In gratitude for the University’s profound impact on their daughter and in honor of her graduation, Cathy and Gene Kroeff established the Kroeff Family Endowed Scholarship Fund in 2019 to support future undergraduate students majoring in public health at SLU. The scholarship reached endowed status this academic year and provides essential financial student support.