Academic Woman Amplified

Dr. Becky Dawson is a public health epidemiologist who has strategically navigated her journey through academia with determination and purpose. Prompting from an early mentor led her to discover her passion at the intersection of environment and health.    Becky shares her path through graduate study, PhD defense (on her due date!), leaving a tenure track job at an R-1 institution to return to her alma mater, winning tenure, and co-founding a brand new health agency on her campus. We talk about how education can encompass many different avenues, and how relationships and community building can enhance academia just as much as publishing and traditional teaching.    Becky shares her sudden propulsion into the spotlight as an expert on infectious disease in the time of Covid-19, and how this has amplified her work and message. She also gives us her top thinking points and recommendations for our own health during the pandemic.  Key points discussed:   Picking a college based on athletics, confidence as a col