VN N" " PRACTICE
SPECIAL REPORT
Increasing Diversity in Environmental Health Graduate Programs
diversity in the workforce is crucial to ensur- ing a wealth of cultural knowledge that facili- tates community relations and builds trust. Although academic institutions have guide- lines on fostering diversity and inclusion, currently there are no standardized recom- mendations specifically for environmental health programs. This topic came up in 2019, when the American Public Health Association (APHA) convened a strategic planning session with the Environmental Health Workforce and Education Committee of the Environ- mental Health & Equity Collaborative. The Collaborative is a group of environ- mental health professionals acting as a uni- fied voice for environmental health that strives to create healthier communities for all via partnerships, resource sharing, and coor- dinated eorts. During the aforementioned session, the members of the Collaborative recognized the need to identify barriers and best practices as a priority to increase diver- sity in the environmental health workforce. Consequently, the Collaborative designed this project to enhance understanding of what attracts students from diverse backgrounds to the environmental health field and what barriers might prevent them from entering it. Based on two listening sessions, a work group developed recommendations for graduate pro- grams in environmental health to increase stu- dent diversity that ideally would translate into greater workforce diversity. Methods The institutional review board of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Sanjana Boyapalli Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Natasha DeJarnett, MPH, PhD, BCES Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville Megan Latshaw, MHS, PhD Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Jyotsna S. Jagai, MPH, MS, PhD Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago
b9:r'): The aim of our study was to determine what motivates and deters students from historically marginalized populations from pursuing degrees in environmental health and to develop recommendations that programs can implement to diversify their student body and, subsequently, the workforce. We recruited four self-identified underrepresented (as defined by the National Institutes of Health, https://diversity.nih.gov/about-us/ population-underrepresented) environmental health graduate students via an email sent to members of the Environment Section of the American Public Health Association. Students were asked to participate in a listening session to gauge what motivated and hindered their interests in environmental health. The sessions were held in December 2021 and February 2022 via Zoom. Students highlighted the significance of personal and departmental financial support, mentorship, peer representation, and broader support for faculty initiatives as potential areas of improvement, among others. Student perspectives from historically marginalized populations oer invaluable insights into how to foster diversity in the field. Future studies should continue exploring student experiences to assess and further develop these recommendations for university policies.
Introduction Multiple sources, including briefs by the National Environmental Health Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention, have called for a more diverse envi- ronmental health workforce (Harper, 2007; National Environmental Health Association, 2020; Oliver, 2020; Walker & Spann, 2008). Currently, 86% of environmental health pro- fessionals are White (Gerding et al., 2019). Underserved minority populations are at an
increased risk of exposure to environmental contaminants and hazards and yet are less likely to have adequate access to healthcare (American Public Health Association, 2019; Collins et al., 2002; Tessum et al., 2019). In other health fields, increased workforce diversity is associated with increased levels of healthcare access in underserved populations (Mitchell & Lassiter, 2006). In environmen- tal health practice—taking into consideration the importance of community engagement—
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Volume 85 • Number 9
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