Andrew Eaton

What inspired or interested you about your field of study? And why did you choose OSU? 

It may sound cliché, but the pandemic pushed me into the public health space, as I’m sure many students can relate. Before 2020, I had been working in emergency medicine, aware of ongoing health disparities and the churn of the healthcare system, but I didn’t feel I was in a position to impact the root causes of those problems. 

By mid-2020, I found myself leading an occupational health startup that supported statewide pandemic response efforts, including testing and vaccination sites. For the first time, I felt like I was in the driver’s seat of meaningful change.  

After that formative experience, I wanted to strengthen my knowledge and skills, and several colleagues highly recommended Oregon State’s public health program, and here I am! 

What are you doing in your internship and/or what is your main project? 

I supported the Environmental Health Team with developing foodborne illness investigation guidance documents. The project required background research, crowdsourcing ideas, technical writing, meetings with staff and a very colorful project management spreadsheet. 

I also had the chance to shadow registered environmental health specialists in their daily work, including food service inspections, water system evaluations, pool inspections and team meetings. 

What do you see as the greatest value of your internship? 

I learned a lot about environmental health practice, an area of public health I may not have experienced otherwise. The greatest value has been the networking and professional development opportunities. It has been incredible to meet and work alongside dedicated public servants who care deeply about protecting community health.