Yinka Bode-George, MHS '17
Yinka Bode-George is a program manager for the Maryland Environmental Health Network.
Where's Yinka Now? Program Manager for the Maryland Environmental Health Network
Yinka entered the MHS program following her undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. As an enthusiast for sustainable development and environmental justice, Yinka believed a degree specializing in population environmental health provided the technical skills needed to become an effective advocate and community health researcher. She was correct in this expectation and acquired even more because Baltimore City offers an enriching experience for environmental health students. The ability to serve the Baltimore community by employing skills gained from EHE coursework she says "was phenomenal." She was able to see how theoretical concepts play out in a city, but also help address the challenges.
My most crucial gain from this graduate experience was the opportunity to construct a public health lens framed around undoing drivers of environmental health inequities.
During the degree program in EHE, Yinka says she realized the learning experience was two-sided. Professors were as eager to hear about her point of view as she was to hear from them. This learning environment fosters a great network among peers and faculty and made her confident in her understanding of the learned materials. Yinka says she was also able to participate in the Risk Sciences and Public Policy certificate program, which a great supplemented to her studies because it "allowed me to see the connections between research, policy, and practice in the real world."
"As a Program Manager for the Maryland Environmental Health Network, I utilize the various skills gained during the MHS program and Risk Sciences certificate. Overall, my most crucial gain from this graduate experience was the opportunity to construct a public health lens framed around undoing drivers of environmental health inequities. This is such an important characteristic that I especially appreciate when shaping programs and policies to further health equity and environmental protection."