Cassandra Smith ’15, Attends Public Health Law Conference

Below is a reflection from Cassandra Smith ’15.

From October 14 to October 18, I traveled to Atlanta, GA for the biannual Public Health Law Conference. The conference theme this year was the Intersection of Law, Policy, and Prevention. As a senior Environmental Policy and Anthropology double major, I am pursuing a career track that integrates the two disciples. Where I find that intersection is in public health. This conference was a great opportunity for me to meet people in my field of interest, learn more about how environmental policy impacts public health, and learn hands on about the current issues in public health. I had the great opportunity to meet lawyers, policy makers, graduate/law students, health workers, tribal leaders, and government workers from all over the country. The conference also included a student-networking day dedicated to discussing options with students who are interested in public health. This was instrumental for me because it was a way for me to discuss one on one what career paths people have found to be beneficial to them and to learn more about graduate and law school options. I also attended presentations on electronic cigarettes, climate change and public health, tribal environmental public health, and the challenges and benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This conference was an enriching experience for me and I hope to be able to attend more public health, environmental health, and policy conferences in the future.