Colin Hendrickson, Illinois State University
This content was created by an EHS intern to describe intern experiences. It has not been revised or edited to conform to agency standards. The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SUPEH Intern, Summer 2016
My summer as a SUPEH intern exposed me to the exciting work that federal employees do every day to promote environmental health. Being able to learn from distinguished scientists about their research projects involving food safety, water sanitation, air pollution, and other aspects of environmental health generated a sense of optimism as I began to think about all the impactful work I could pursue in this field. With additional trainings on public health communication, ethics, and writing, I have never been so confident on my ability to become a leader in the field.
My favorite part of my internship was the research project that I assisted with. My supervisor was very kind and approachable; he always had time to answer my questions regarding the project or to discuss his path to the CDC. Our project involved quantifying the impact that water sanitation infrastructure construction or repair can have on respiratory infections, skin infections, and infectious diarrhea rates on Indian reservations. By collaborating with the Indian Health Service, we analyzed several published articles, hospitalization data, and records of water sanitation projects to come to our conclusion. Using a modelling approach, we estimated that if IHS invested $1 in water sanitation infrastructure construction or repair, they can save approximately $10 worth of medical treatment costs. I felt as though my role in the research was impactful and important; the experience it gave me also is proving helpful as I pursue grad school.
In addition to learning about the work of CDC employees, we also got the chance to shadow a USDA employee as he inspected a chicken processing plant. Food safety is a very important issue in environmental health, and it was insightful to see the processes involved in preventing an outbreak among chickens. Beyond the federal level, we also shadowed employees of a local health department for two days as they inspected restaurants, pools, and septic systems. Seeing the contrast between the county and federal level revealed to me just how many opportunities there are within the environmental health field and the important roles that they all have.
Atlanta is a wonderful city with so much to do and see, and getting the chance to explore it with all the other CLEH and GEH interns was an experience I will continue to cherish. A special thank you to Oak Ridge Institute and all of my mentors/supervisors at the CDC for providing me with an unforgettable summer.