It’s Everything: The Inescapable Link Between Public Health and Environmental Health

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS:
Alexandra Bova, Intern
APTIM | Emergency Management
Alexandra.Bova@APTIM.com
Alexandra is a second-year graduate student at New York University pursuing her Master of Public Health (MPH) in environmental health sciences (EHS). She has a bachelor’s in environmental science and policy; minors in French and global studies; and experience in environmental conservation, sustainability education, and environmental policy advocacy.

 

Brooke Lovett, Intern
APTIM | Emergency Management
Brooke.Lovett@APTIM.com
Brooke is earning her MPH in EHS with a certificate in history, ethics, and law at Columbia University. Her studies focus on the intersection of human health, climate change, and the built environment. She combines her unique perspective and educational background to create innovative solutions for climate related issues and communicate EHS topics to all audiences.

 

 

It’s Everything: The Inescapable Link Between Public Health and Environmental Health

How are public health and environmental health intertwined, and what can companies and communities do to protect both? As MPH students and cohort members of APTIM’s 2024 STRIVE Summer Internship Program, we are excited to collaborate with APTIM teammates on a blog series that will break down these topics and illustrate them through real life examples of various business lines and projects at APTIM.

Let’s start with an introduction to these topics before bringing in the APTIM experts and diving into more advanced conversations.

The Connection of Public Health and Environmental Health

Public health is a large-scale practice aimed at improving the wellbeing of populations through efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private sectors, communities, and individuals. This mission is accomplished using the disciplines of epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health sciences (EHS). In turn, EHS spans these disciplines and often serves as the catalyst for the conditions that impact them.

“EHS is everything, and everything is EHS” is a common saying within the scientific community because the wellbeing of a population cannot be separated from its environmental exposures. For example, environmental factors—such as air quality, the spread of vector borne diseases to higher latitudes, and the presence of contaminants in drinking water—all impact human health, the main factor in epidemiology. Environmental health is also linked to social and behavioral health, health policy, and management, climate resilience, occupational health and safety, and our food and water resources.

APTIM’s Role in Public Health

APTIM works in the cutting edge of environmental issues such as enhanced water and air quality, infrastructure and coastal resilience, and recovery from natural and manmade disasters, all of which are public health issues. The company invests in the development of its teammates through a culture where continuous learning and collaboration is central. From interns to the executive leadership team, everyone can make valuable contributions to improve health and wellbeing for our clients and communities—and they can do so by working with industry-leading experts across disciplines. As a result, APTIM is improving the lives and health of people and the planet through projects like investigating and removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the water supply throughout the US as well a providing temporary sheltering solutions to Hurricane Ida survivors.

Meet APTIM’s Master of Public Health Interns

Alexandra Bova

I discovered my passion for public health upon learning about Love Canal in my environmental planning course during my junior year spring semester at Marist College. The next semester, I took an environmental investigation and environmental law course, which emphasized the impacts of various contaminants on human health and creating solutions for underserved communities. During my junior and senior years, I researched the social and ecological systems of Alaska and Iceland. At APTIM, I am working for the Recovery team of the Emergency Management & Disaster Services (EMDS) business line with responsibilities that include data entry and analysis. My career goal is to enter the field of environmental investigation and remediation and to improve natural resources for underserved populations.

Brooke Lovett

My interest in human health began in high school when my father was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. This experience inspired me to better understand the combination of biological and environmental issues in cancer to help families in similar situations comprehend risk factors and treatment options. I began my undergraduate studies as a nursing student before switching to environmental science; realizing I could combine my two interests through a career in environmental public health. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh, then worked in healthcare and city planning before enrolling in the MPH program at Columbia University. Currently, I am a Preparedness Intern for the EMDS business unit at APTIM with an interest in making cities more resilient to climate change, enabling healthier lives for their inhabitants.

Learn More About Public Health with APTIM

Throughout this series, we will explore the intersection of public health and environmental work through APTIM’s multidisciplinary projects, including remediating contaminants in our natural resources, integrating climate resilience into our built environment, protecting communities from radiation, and ensuring healthy and safe workplaces. We will take a look at how APTIM integrates public health into project planning, community engagement, and execution.

We look forward to hearing from multidisciplinary experts at APTIM, such as:

Join us as we examine how innovative environmental solutions can create healthier communities! Engage with our series by connecting with us on LinkedIn and joining the conversation in the comment section of APTIM’s posts. You can also email us directly with any questions you may have.