Beth Haley.

Why did you choose BU School of Public Health? What made the degree program standout?

I chose to attend BUSPH for three main reasons: the opportunity to conduct research aligned with my interests, the focus of BUSPH on action outside of academia, and the incredible culture in the Department of Environmental Health (EH). My background consists of conservation biology, ecology, and environmental education, but I wanted to better understand how ecological health impacts people.

I was attracted to BU because researchers in the EH department are investigating how climate change, urban greenness, surface water quality, and other aspects of the natural environment impact human health. The URBAN program, an interdisciplinary NSF-funded training program for doctoral students in EH, Biology, Earth & Environment, and Statistics, was also a major draw for me because it is designed to prepare us to tackle urban environmental challenges in partnership with governments, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector. I want to conduct research that is meaningful for decision makers as our society strives to address pressing environmental challenges that impact people and the ecosystems around us. Between the training opportunity offered by URBAN and BUSPH’s mission to promote action and service beyond academia, I was sure that BU was the right place for me. Finally (and very importantly), I love the culture of the EH Department here at BU. When I interviewed, students and faculty alike touted the collegial, cooperative culture within the department. I was skeptical and thought their enthusiasm was part of promoting the department during Prospective Student Day, but now, two and a half years later, I have found their claims to be 100 percent true! Members of the department in all roles support one another and students are truly respected as fellow contributors. I couldn’t be happier with the choice that I made.

Why public health?

I believe that a healthy planet is essential for humans, wildlife, and our ecosystems to thrive. Climate change, water and air pollution, urban heat island effects, land use change—all of these challenges have implications for people and ecosystems.

I spent the earlier stages of my career focused on the non-human elements of ecosystems and wanted to take a more holistic perspective to better understand how solutions that are beneficial for our ecosystems also benefit people. We will need an interdisciplinary approach to remedy our planet’s environmental woes and ensure equitable access to healthy environments for all people. Public health was a natural fit for me because of the field’s focus on systems-level analyses and emphasis on upstream interventions.

How have the faculty helped make your experience exceptional?

The faculty in the EH Department have created a supportive and empowering environment for doctoral students. My advisor, Dr. Wendy Heiger-Bernays, is an incredible mentor who is dedicated to helping me gain the skills and experiences I need to succeed as a doctoral student, and, more importantly, in the career that I want following graduation. She also genuinely cares about me as a human being, which has been critical especially over the last very challenging year.

Dr. Heiger-Bernays is not an anomaly within the EH Department: there is a universal “open door” policy for all faculty, making it easier for graduate students to approach people who are truly experts in their field to ask for guidance and mentorship. The research rotation model in the EH Department, made possible by a NIH-funded training grant, gives all students an opportunity to work with many faculty. The result is that it feels like we are being trained by a village. Building such a strong mentorship network has been incredibly beneficial up to this point, and I imagine it will remain a strong benefit of graduating from the program when faculty mentors transition to colleagues.