What do you do?
I am the director of the Office of Environmental Public Health Sciences.
Describe your educational path. What was your area of study?
I got my undergraduate degree from Guilford College in North Carolina. I majored in environmental studies, peace and conflict studies and religious studies. After working for about five years in global health I returned to school for a master's degree from the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs.
How did you enter your career in public health?
I incidentally entered public health through global health based on an interest in working internationally and hadn't planned to continue in public health. I loved working in global health, but in deciding to return to school I focused on environmental work, with a thesis on spatial analysis of fish abundance in the Bering Sea canyons. After graduating, I became a Marc Hershman Marine Policy Fellow, with a placement at the Department of Health (DOH) working in shellfish safety. It combined my interests in the environment with care for people.
What is the primary purpose of your team?
Environmental Public Health Sciences is a non-regulatory office within the Environmental Public Health Division that often provides advice and guidance to other parts of the public health system and partners. We work on a wide range of issues from preventing and responding to childhood lead poisoning and administering environmental justice grants to developing fish consumption advice and coordinating wastewater surveillance. It is an incredible office filled with talented and creative individuals who care deeply about health equity, environmental health, people, and each other.
What is your typical day on the job?
Honestly, a lot of meetings. I spend most of my day talking to other people — people in my office who are navigating barriers, solving problems, or sharing information; people in other parts of our agency; and people at other agencies or organizations. I mostly get to engage on hot topics, review reports and presentations, and lead our office's policy efforts and strategic planning. I'm also able to spend time learning about the amazing work happening in the office or advancements that may impact our work. I love collaborating, interacting, problem solving, and connecting.
What advice would you give a student pursuing career opportunities in public health? What is something you wish you knew earlier in your career?
Public health is such a broad and encompassing field. There is way more work for us to do and places to engage than we have time for. It can be overwhelming at times, but it is usually incredibly inspiring and engaging. Experiment, figure out what you're excited about or what skills you want to develop, and then jump in.
Are there any books, podcasts, or other media that you would recommend for future public health professionals?
I'm reading As Long As Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice from Colonization to Standing Rock by Dina Gilio-Whitaker and highly recommend it. Understanding how environmental justice intersects with public health is a growth area for me, along with understanding indigenous people's experiences. I believe that connecting and conceptualizing how people experience the world and how it relates to their health individually and as part of a broader community makes us better able to serve in public health.
What do you enjoy about living and working in Washington state?
As a transplant to Washington from the northeast, I love it here. It is the most beautiful place to live and work. DOH is an incredibly supportive place to work — I was able to bring both my children to work with me as infants. It was a very sweet way to transition back to work, build community, and be supported as an individual. We're also a state that cares deeply about people and the environment, which creates a fertile atmosphere to do innovative and impactful work.