#WeAreEmoryEpi: Meet Claire Rowan

Claire is a first-year Master’s student with an interest in emergency preparedness. We talked to her about her background, reasons for getting her MPH, and advice for future students!

Tell us a little bit about your academic history/where you went to school.

I did my undergraduate degree at Texas A&M University and majored in public health.

What are your primary research interests?

My main interest is in emergency preparedness but I’m also taking classes in infectious diseases 

How have you been navigating the work (& learn) from home experience during the COVID-19 outbreak?

The work-from-home environment has been tricky for me, especially moving to a new city/state. The main thing for me is making sure I only do school work at my desk, and can move to a different room in the evenings so that I have a distinct end to the day. I also adopted a cat from the Atlanta Humane Society this semester, and she’s significantly improving the work from home experience.

Are there any exciting projects that you are currently working on that you’d like to share with us?

I’m working for the Atlanta Opera as the Assistant Risk Management Coordinator – we’re having in-person rehearsals and performances and I’m helping make sure all protocols are safe and being followed. It’s been a really fun experience that I didn’t expect to have during my time at Emory.

What is your favorite part about earning your MPH at Emory?

I’ve really enjoyed my classes in the fall semester. I’ve had really great professors who have been focused on not only teaching the material that I need to know, but helping their students to learn more about public health opportunities. My EH581 class, public health consequences of disasters has been a really helpful experience so far!

 What made you apply to Rollins, and what was the deciding factor?

I decided to apply to Rollins because of all of the connections, experienced faculty in my research interest and opportunities that would be available to me here. In addition, the REAL program and possible opportunities through that was finally what made the decision for me!

What tips or advice do you have for prospective students when applying and deciding on which school to attend?

My advice for prospective MPH students would be to speak to as many people as you can before applying. I’ve done as many informational interviews with public health professionals to figure out what areas of public health I might be most interested in. When I figured out that emergency preparedness was my end goal, Emory’s faculty was a major factor in my decision. 

What advice do you have for people who may be interested in getting their MPH?

My advice after a semester of pandemic classes would be to expect a lot of work, but make sure to take care of your mental health at the same time.

What books are you currently reading, or what podcasts are you currently listening to?

I’ve been reading The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett and listen to EM Weekly (I have a difficult time putting work down at the end of the day)

What are three fun facts that you want people to know about you?

1. I knit so that I stay busy even when I’m sitting still.

2. I have never had a sense of smell.

3. I’m from Austin, TX and miss breakfast tacos since I’ve moved to Atlanta.

Thanks to Claire for taking the time to introduce herself! We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!