For Brandi Greene, public health is about making broad change through service. She brings her background and dedication to the community to her new role as director of the undergraduate public health program in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation.
In this Q&A, Greene explains why public health is so personal to her and how her own experiences influenced her career choice.
Why did you decide to pursue public health as a career path?
I had planned to go to medical school, but I quickly became interested in public health because of its focus on prevention rather than treatment. I come from a marginalized community and lived in a low-income area for some time. I wanted to be an advocate for people similar to me and have had to deal with many medical issues that I saw others in the community dealing with.
The focus is on the health of the mother and child. What made you do that?
This is a more personal story. I had a high-risk pregnancy and suffered from postpartum depression. But despite my education, I didn't know much about it.
At that time, I thought: “If I don't know much about it based on my education and where I'm from, what are other people who don't have the resources or education doing?” That's what I wanted to address. is.
You have another passion: addressing health disparities. Why did you choose that focus?
Health disparities are particularly prevalent among people of color and marginalized populations. This is largely due to the lack of education and resources available to these people. I focus on health disparities because I want to close those gaps. The more educated they are and the more students advocate for those communities, the more voices will speak up on these issues for communities that don't usually have a voice. Sho.
You have recently been appointed as the new Director of Undergraduate Public Health. What is the key message you would like to convey to UTA public health students?
Rebecca Garner has done a great job building public health programs. My goal is to continue her legacy and make us visible in the community. We have a great program that educates students about what public health is and allows them to put that back into the field. But we're thinking about what we're doing as a program to make sure we're as supportive as we can be.
We work in a variety of areas, including food insecurity, maternal and child health issues, and addressing individuals experiencing homelessness. As a public health professional, I think about what else we can do to address health disparities and improve health outcomes in our communities.
What would you say about the public health program to students who are undecided and may be considering it as a field of study?
The reason I and many faculty members work in public health is because we have a lot of influence. In public health, we are trying to make changes that impact entire populations.
You can also be an advocate for people who can't speak for themselves or who don't have someone to ask, “What do you need?” or “How can I help you?”
The UTA Public Health program has outstanding faculty who bring practical experience to the classroom. Our students are better prepared than any program I have ever seen in North Texas. I’m really excited to see where the program goes.
