One Health PhD Student, Rebecca Austin-Datta, was recently invited to join the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a Science Ambassador. This fellowship is highly coveted, with 174 applications submitted from 34 states and 5 countries in this cycle alone. Rebecca is 1 of 30 applicants who was offered a position in the 2018 Fellowship Class.
This fellowship is an educational program for teachers and educational leaders interested in increasing awareness about public health sciences in middle and high-school classrooms. Rebecca will complete a 5-day interactive summer course at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as a 1-year distance-based professional development opportunity.
“By the time kids are five or six, they think they want to be a vet or a doctor. Their career goals are defined by what they know and what they see on TV. We’re missing the opportunity for them to be interested in infectious disease and public health. I want to publicize public health as a career choice for them.” said Rebecca on why she is excited to be a Science Ambassador. “The world needs interdisciplinary professionals to solve global health problems. The world needs more superheroes.”
Congratulations, Rebecca! For more information about the fellowship, please visit here.