Student Spotlight: Olivia Ventresca
Oliva Ventresca is pursuing an MS in Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. Her research interests are worker exposure and health, risk science and public policy, and lab work on culturing pathogens in drinking water.
Meet Olivia Ventresca
- Program: MS in Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
- Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
- Previous degree: BS in Public Health and Environmental Science, American University
- Adviser: Gurumurthy “Ram” Ramachandran, PhD, MS
- Interests: Reading, drawing, being with friends
What sparked your interest in environmental science?
A large part of my childhood growing up in Massachusetts was being outside surrounded by forests, wetlands, and being lucky enough to be very close to the ocean. My father would often take my sister and I to our local herring run, which stands out to me as an early memory of being fascinated with the environment and wanting to understand more about the world around me.
Why did you choose to come to Johns Hopkins?
I chose Hopkins for the amazing research opportunities that I would have access to throughout my degree, and almost more importantly, to be able to work and learn within the EHE department surrounded by faculty who are extremely knowledgeable and are invested in helping me get the most out of my program.
What is your favorite thing about living in Baltimore?
Baltimore has such an amazing food scene! Getting out every week to try a new restaurant and check out local markets is one of the best parts of living in the city.
What advice do you have for prospective students?
Don't be afraid to step out of your interests and take courses or accept research opportunities that do not exactly align with your degree. EHE is very interdisciplinary, and taking advantage of applying and connecting science to different fields helps you become a better scientist and student.