Category: Seowoo

Hi all! I hope you all are having a great summer. This summer went by way too fast for me. I cannot believe it’s almost time to go back to school! I wish I had a little more time to travel and just relax, but I regret nothing about how I spent my summer. Working with the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) in the Division of Public Health within the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been a wonderful experience. My main work was to write a manuscript on health and climate impacts of traffic-related air pollution to describe the potential health benefits the NC Clean Transportation Plan will bring to people in North Carolina. To do this work, I have read many papers and articles, attended environmental health conference and webinars, and have joined NC Clean Transportation Plan work group meetings. I was given opportunities to be involved in different meeting groups that helped me learn more about air pollution, as well as other environmental health issues in North Carolia that I have not previously paid attention to. Although I was not directly involved in the NC Clean Transportation Plan development, it was very interesting to see how those big state plans are developed. I have learned how multiple stakeholders, such as NC Department of Transportation, NC Department of Environmental Quality, NC DHHS, and many more, work together to develop actionable strategies to improve air quality in North Carolina. It was like seeing everything I have learned in the first year of MPH actually taking place in real life.

During this summer, I was really into this project. Every time I drove, all I thought of were the cars emitting gas exhaustion, the houses near highways, and the lack of electric vehicle related infrastructures. One time, I was driving and talking about these for too long, my husband had to stop me few times. I still have some things to wrap up before this practicum ends. I am at the stage of revising the manuscript and preparing to give presentation on my learnings to people in the OEEB. The work will soon be over, but I will not stop digging up on this topic as I have gained so much interest throughout. Overall, I have had a valuable experience working with NC DHHS. I especially want to thank my preceptor, Dr. Guidry, for being a great support and helping me gain as much experience as I can.

Seowoo

When I first joined MPH program, I did have a pretty specific area of interest. Through my clinical experience in the past, I wanted to focus more on the non-communicable diseases. Specifically, I wanted to work to reduce cardiovascular health disparities that are disproportionately affecting certain populations. However, a year of studying at Gillings made me feel a bit less clear about what I hope to do in the future, but in a good way!! Throughout the courses and from the peers, I was able to learn about many different public health issues that have not paid attention to. All the issues were important, and I wanted to know more about them. For this summer practicum, I will also be exploring the topic that I am not too familiar of. I am already very excited to see all the things I will be learning and gaining throughout!

For my practicum, I am currently working with the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) in the Division of Public Health within the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). OEEB identifies and quantifies environmental and occupational hazards, conducts risk assessments, evaluates health effects, and provides health-based guidance relating to contaminants and health effects across the state. Among multiple projects the team is working on, I will be supporting DHHS contributions to the NC Clean Transportation Plan. The NC Clean Transportation Plan is being developed in response to Executive Order 246, “North Carolina’s Transformation to a Clean Equitable Economy”. Specifically, I will be working on a literature review about the health effects of transportation-related air pollutants, a short manuscript about the potential health benefits of implementing the NC Clean Transportation Plan, and a presentation to OEEB about the findings. To gain more insights and knowledge on environmental health, especially on air-pollution and climate change, I will be attending the Health Effects Institute Annual Conference and related virtual sessions. I may also assist with other related products or additional projects in OEEB, such as summaries of air pollution exposures associated with biogas or research to support environmental justice activities.

My goals for this practicum are to gain practical experience in a professional public health work environment, learn more about air pollutants and their impacts on health, and develop professional writing skills. I am also looking forward to participating in presentations and events that are relevant to environmental health and justice and engaging with public health practitioners from various sectors. Things are going great so far! Hope everyone else is having an amazing summer as well!

-Seowoo