Environmental Health (EH)

Kori VanDerGeest MPH, Environmental Health Hometown Albuquerque, NM Future plans To conduct community-based public health research. “What really excites me about what I did in the last two years is being able to respond to a community need.” - Kori VanDerGeest

Amanda Durkin BS, Environmental Health Hometown Hingham, MA Future plans A career in occupational health and an eventual MBA degree. “One thing I will miss about the UW is the opportunity for constant learning and growth.” - Amanda Durkin

“Growing up in Wenatchee, WA, I was exposed to a lot of agricultural workers. Learning about how the environment affects people’s health—and realizing that many people I knew growing up were exposed to health risks—really hooked me on environmental health.”

Research with real-world impact: DEOHS student’s work leads to environmental recommendations to create cleaner waterways.

My name is Vannie and I had the opportunity to become an intern at the Public Health - Seattle & King County (PHSKC) in the Foods & Facilities Section.

Daaniya Iyaz is researching how wildfire smoke events impact pediatric hospital admissions and health outcomes in the Seattle area.

Calvin Terada earned his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health in 1994 and now works as Director of the Superfund & Emergency Management Division of U.S. EPA Region 10.

Yasmin Everson earned her B.S. in Environmental Health in 2018. She completed her internship at Sound Transit and after graduation joined Amazon as an EHS Specialist. Now, she joined the Amazon Technical Academy, where she plans to integrate her passions for public health and software development.

Ryan Kouchakji earned his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health in 2017 and is now in his second year at the UW School of Medicine M.D. Program. As a medical student, Ryan loves being in Seattle, having access to amazing hospital systems, and getting early clinical exposure.

Bruk Molla is gaining the skills he'll need to address occupational and environmental hazards in marginalized communities, particularly for immigrants and their families.

Tyler Gerken, a DEOHS graduate student in environmental health, has been awarded one of six 2019-2020 master's fellowships from the UW School of Public Health. The $20,000 awards are made to promising scholars with the goal of attracting students with diverse experiences and backgrounds.

When Elisabeth Burnor discovered she could combine her interests in biomedical and environmental sciences and earn a degree in environmental health, she was hooked.

Suhani Patel's varied experiences as an undergraduate Environmental Health major have helped her build valuable research and practice skills.

Vy Tran, '16, was driven to study environmental health after seeing how work in a tofu factory took a toll on her mother's mental and physical health. Today she's making an impact as an occupational health worker.

Sara Mar graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Health in 2017 and now works as a CDC’s Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) Fellow.

Anisa Ghadrshenas, 2008 BS Environmental Health graduate, uses the analytical foundation from her coursework to develop policies with the World Health Organization.

Ali Everhart uses the knowledge and experience she gained as an Environmental Health major to provide environmental and public health services to fifteen tribes throughout southwest Alaska.

Kazu Okumura earned a BS in Environmental Health and now serves as an Environmental Health Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps.

After completing a summer internship with Amazon as an undergraduate, Will Bond graduated and was eventually promoted to Amazon's Global Road Safety Program Manager.

Wafa Tafesh uses the knowledge she gained from her BS in Environmental Health to support her work as a Water Quality Scientist for King County.

Julie Tu earned a BS in Environmental Health in 2015 and now works as a Senior Consultant at Ramboll, a large global consulting group.

Alison Kline hopes her research on poliovirus will help improve surveillance efforts in places like Pakistan, where the virus is still endemic.

As an intern with the Port Angeles Health Department, Rico Gonzalez surveyed community members and local organizations to understand what information they needed about the health risks posed by wildfire smoke.

Xiaoqiong "Christy" Huang graduated from the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health's undergraduate program in 2012. She now works as a Health and Enivronmental Investigator for Seattle and King County Public Health. Huang loves the opportunity to educate food workers, restaurant operators and the general public about the significance of food safety, thereby protecting people from foodborne illnesses.

Vivian Yu graduated from the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health's undergraduate program in 2011 and earned her M.D. at Georgetown University School of Medicine in 2017.

Worker safety resonates for Breyan (Brie) Paske, in part because members of her family are employed in the manufacturing industry. Paske is a safety administrator with The Boeing Company in Everett.

Dalila Zelkanovic graduated from the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health's undergraduate program in 2014. She now works for the Clark County Health Department as an Environmental Health Specialist. Zelkanovic loves the the satisfaction of serving the public, and being on the frontlines of her evolving and developing community.

King County, Washington currently ranks 3rd in the nation for the number of people experiencing homelessness. Amid an affordability housing crisis, the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to grow in Seattle. People in historically redlined communities of Seattle disproportionately experience homelessness because of gentrification.

The One Health approach, which assesses the interconnectedness of animal, human, and environmental health, fails to include and amplify Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous scientists.

The school environment is one of the primary locations where children spend time and is known to present numerous health hazards. Poor air quality is a known public health risk, especially for children, impacting health, attendance, and learning outcomes, but schools face many challenges in improving the school environment.