‘Ready to do her part’ in shaping a future with environmental health policy
Kate O’Brien, MPH ’24
Environmental Health Sciences
The decision to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Michigan School of Public Health was not a straightforward choice for Kate O’Brien, MPH ’24.
Like most of us, her life dramatically changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. As she was working from home in Michigan, she found inspiration through an NPR story she heard linking climate change to public health.
O’Brien started to investigate public health schools and instantly was drawn to the University of Michigan School of Public Health Department of Environmental Health Sciences program.
On the department’s website, she found a Venn diagram graphic that perfectly captured her personal interests—environmental health, health behavior and health policy—with the Environmental Health Promotion and Policy (EHPP) program.
O’Brien was hooked.
“I was like, ‘This is exactly where I want to be,’” said O’Brien, who will graduate in May with a Master of Public Health degree in Environmental Health Promotion and Policy. “The program met in the middle for all the things I’m interested in. I wanted an aspect of policy because I’m not interested in doing research. Ideally, I want to do either governmental, nonprofit work and/or community-based work and having that philosophical background for the EHPP program is unique compared to other schools I had looked at.”
From inspiration to action
O’Brien, a native of Canada who became an American citizen in 2022, earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology at College of the Atlantic, a private liberal arts college in Bar Harbor, Maine. While there, she initially was interested in fisheries management in marine biology.
“Then, I started getting interested less in the actual biological sciences of the fish and got more interested in anthropology and policy while I was there,” she said.
It was eye-opening to see how prevalent PFAS are in Michigan or wherever in the world you are looking. That’s not to say that I didn't know that those things existed but it’s something I've been very interested in from an environmental justice standpoint for a long time.”
O’Brien studied international climate policy and other international environmental policy issues as an undergraduate. She attended the Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties while at the College of the Atlantic and wrote an undergraduate thesis on fishermen and sustainability.
Once she was at Michigan Public Health, O’Brien took a deep dive into the real-world applications of public health policy. One of the most eye-opening aspects for her was learning about exposure assessments and the significance of air and chemical pollution in everyday life.
Her internship at NewFields, an environmental engineering firm in Atlanta in the summer of 2023, provided a glimpse into the complex world of remediation projects and the critical role of policy in regulating harmful substances like PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals.”
“It was eye-opening to see how prevalent PFAS are in Michigan or wherever in the world you are looking. That’s not to say that I didn't know that those things existed but it’s something I've been very interested in from an environmental justice standpoint for a long time,” said O’Brien who wrote a column on environmental justice issues in high school.
“I had never thought about it much from the health side. Understanding the biological mechanisms as to why these are bad for your health and the ways that PM. 2.5 (particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter) can impact cardiovascular health was fascinating to learn. Finding out how prevalent it is in our society was astonishing to me and to think about how that has had intergenerational impacts within my own family.”
‘An important contributor’
Faculty and mentors at Michigan Public Health were instrumental in O’Brien’s journey.
She said she would like to thank all the faculty at Michigan Public Health but highlighted:
- Linda Gordon, associate director of the Center for Health Equity Practice at the Michigan Public Health Institute, as a health practitioner who provided valuable insights on the implementation of public health equity initiatives
- Deborah Watkins, associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences and chair of EHS’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee
- Amy Schulz, professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, whose community-centered work inspired O’Brien’s academic and career trajectory
- Tim Dvonch, associate professor and associate chair of Environmental Health Sciences, her adviser who shares her belief in the crucial connection between science and policy
“Kate’s uniquely valuable experiences have allowed her to serve as a wonderful mentor to younger students, and as an important contributor to her overall cohort,” Dvonch said.
As a student in the EHPP program, I am equipped with a well-rounded understanding of both the scientific aspects of environmental and occupational health and the policy and educational strategies needed to address these concerns in my career.”
O’Brien served on the department DEI committee, even when her demanding schedule made participation challenging. Her experiences as a graduate student instructor for Watkins also allowed her to influence and mentor the next generation of public health leaders.
“As a student in the EHPP program, I am equipped with a well-rounded understanding of both the scientific aspects of environmental and occupational health and the policy and educational strategies needed to address these concerns in my career,” O’Brien said. “The blend of courses from different disciplines will allow me to approach environmental health issues from multiple angles and develop holistic solutions that improve public well-being.”
An advocate for health equity
After graduation, O’Brien aims to find employment in Atlanta to be close to her partner of eight years, Lily Bonadonna, a University of Michigan alumna and an internal medicine resident at Emory University.
In the long term, O'Brien plans to carry out community-led work that directly serves the needs and wants of the people affected by environmental health issues. Her goal is to help build long-term sustainability and resilience and to reshape the distribution of resources from the powerful to the people who need them the most.
She is determined to carve out her niche and create the change she wishes to see.
“The spotlight on public health during COVID-19 taught me about the importance of investing in this field,” O'Brien said. "Now is the time to act, to get involved in creating more sustainable, healthy communities—and I'm ready to do my part.”