Lucy Brainerd, a second-year MPH student in Environmental Health Science and Policy, described her time at Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) as “busy, demanding and fun.” She’s been involved in the Environmental and Occupational Health Department (EOH), the GW Public Health Student Association (PHSA) and many other groups in D.C.
Brainerd enjoys the close-knit EOH community that has allowed her to foster strong bonds with peers and professors. “I am proud of every single one of my EOH peers for what we achieved with our Culminating Experience (CE) projects last semester," Brainerd said. "It really felt like a group effort and group accomplishment to survive the semester." Toward the end of their graduate studies at Milken Institute SPH, public health students participate in a combination of internships, a supervised practicum project, residency and/or culminating experience in order to gain real-world experience.
Last summer, she completed her practicum at the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she studied climate health. “It was amazing to get hands-on experience in my field of study and ended up helping me decide on a topic for my CE," she said. "Working at a government agency like that is something you can truly only do while in D.C.”
For one of her classes, Brainerd was also able to attend a congressional hearing, which, as a student of climate policy, was so important for her to experience, she said. “You can read articles, summaries, news blurbs, etc., about how a member of Congress views an issue, but watching their body language in person is completely different."
Brainerd has also gained hand-on experience working with professors as a climate research assistant on a study with Associate Professor Sabrina McCormick and Professor and Prevention and Community Health Chair Rajiv Rimal. Brainerd helps with interviews and qualitative analysis, which involves social media outreach and data coding. “The professors and students (MPH, PA/MPH and DrPH) in our department are brilliant, encouraging, and are truly working to make positive change in the world,” she said. (She would like to give a special thank you to the EOH Department for making her time at GW so incredible.)
Her advice to future students is to take advantage of every opportunity possible. “Say, 'YES!'" Brainerd said. "Study group? 'Yes.' Lunchtime seminar? 'Sure.' Networking opportunity? 'Absolutely.' Congressional hearing? 'You bet.' Get involved with my department? 'Yep.' The hashtag #OnlyatGW exists for a reason—take advantage of the amazing resources here to advance your academic experience and career."