An interview with our new dean.
What sparked your interest in public health?
After taking a year after college to work in a laboratory, in some ways I was on a traditional path to being a clinical doctor. During medical school, I spent a summer at the Frontier Nursing Service, which is the first school of midwifery in the United States and a prime example of public health in clinical care. I then started my residency in internal medicine. While I concentrated on primary care at the Veterans Administration during my third year, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do in the future.
Then I heard about the Epidemic Intelligence Service Fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It sounded fun and adventurous; I thought I’d only be there for two years before going back to my clinical career. My first outbreak brought me, a city girl from Philadelphia, to a town in rural Texas where I did a study that led to modifications in a vaccine strategy for the community. Instead of treating patients one-by-one, I could have an impact on an entire population. I liked the practice, but I also liked the science — learning epidemiology tools and applying them to a problem. The CDC was a community full of like-minded people, and within six months, I knew I wasn’t ever going to go back to be an academic clinician.
Experiences there helped me realize the amazing potential of a vaccine. Unlike some interventions, giving the right vaccine at the right time to the right population can dramatically impact a disease right away. If you have the correct implementation strategy, you can use science to make a dramatic impact on our population so quickly.
What is your advice for future public health leaders?
Say yes to things.
Take advantage of every opportunity to learn something new, even if you can’t see where the end point might take you. At CDC, I had the great pleasure of working across a variety of things in addition to vaccines. I didn’t necessarily know where some of the projects were headed, but I got to do great work with great people, and I learned something from everything. At the time, I viewed it as just working on another project, but in retrospect, I’ve come to realize that broad exposure to different experiences can really impact your trajectory.
I remember my very first step into a leadership position. I wasn’t going to apply to it because I was really happy doing research on the front lines, but one of my mentors convinced me that the leadership development would be beneficial. I’m thankful for that encouragement, and I’m glad I said yes. My time at the Skoll Foundation, my time at UNC — sometimes we have to be willing to take the next step.
Don’t be afraid to say yes. Don’t be afraid to fail at something.
Who are you when you’re at home?
I’m a mom. I’m a wife. I’m a friend. I have three cats and a dog — I don’t exactly know how that happened.
I think I’m a quieter person at home. Especially after the pandemic, I’ve come to appreciate being in community with the people I care about, learning new things and meeting new people.
I like to cook. I like to travel. I like to be outside. I love playing fetch with my dog, Scout, who reliably brings the ball back to me every time. It’s reinvigorating to be in nature and be astonished by things. Even the smallest things. It’s fall right now, and the leaves are beautiful. I never want to lose my appreciation of those things.
