Meet: David Roth

Environmental health student David Roth

Program and year: 2nd year, MSPH in Environmental Health and Epidemiology

Undergraduate university and major: Williams College; B.A. in Geosciences

Before coming to Rollins: I traveled and worked for a winery in New Zealand. I then worked as a research assistant at the California Department of Public Health in Immunization Education and Vaccine Preventable Disease Epidemiology.

Why I chose Rollins: I came to Rollins for the myriad opportunities available, the quality of professors and classes, and the diverse and interesting classmates. By having around 500 people in my class, I am constantly meeting new people who bring valuable and differing perspectives to discussions and clubs. Despite the large size, there is incredible access to professors, who also happen to be world-renowned researchers. Professors are inviting and want to talk to you both about their research and your interests.

The professional network at Rollins is incredible. Every time you talk to a professor or advisor, they suggest some more people for you to talk to—all of whom are completely willing to talk to you. These networking opportunities combined with the ability to gain valuable experience in the field through the REAL program are unique to Rollins. The access to public health professionals, education, and classmates are what brought me to Rollins.

In talking to a government official who does public health hiring, I was highly encouraged to attend Rollins because she prefers to hire from here as we leave with the best hard skills, curiosity, and thoughtfulness that are critical in a job.

Why I chose EH: My interest in environmental health and epidemiology arose from a combination of my geosciences degree and an interest in health. Emory is the only school that offers this joint master's, which perfectly aligned with my interests. This degree has allowed me to bridge the gap from where I came from to the direction I want my career to take me. There is nothing more universal than water and air. By having that knowledge as a base in my public health career will be invaluable.

Research interests: Infectious disease, WASH, hospital acquired infections, antimicrobial resistance

Career goals: I will be starting medical school next year. After medical school, I hope to work as a medical epidemiologist in a governmental public health department.

Three favorite things about Rollins:

  1. My fellow classmates
  2. The extracurricular learning and work opportunities
  3. The emphasis on a school/work/life balance

Favorite classes: Hospital and Healthcare Epidemiology, Epi Methods, Climate Change, Emerging Infectious Disease

Clubs and extracurriculars: Student Outbreak Response Team, Jewish Students in Public Health, IM & Rec League Soccer, REAL work

Advice for prospective students: Take advantage of all that is around you. Get to know your classmates, professors, and lecturers. There is public health everywhere you look in Atlanta, and it is great to get involved.

My favorite thing about Atlanta is: The abundance of free street fairs