With Marie Murray, MPH, CHES
Please tell us about yourself and what you have been up to since graduating from Baylor with your MPH.
I am a California Epidemiologic Investigation Service (Cal-EIS) Fellow, working at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in the Veterinary Public Health program. After graduating from Baylor, I moved to California with my husband, started a small-business, and started working towards my Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Sciences.
What influenced your current career path? What made you choose Cal-EIS?
My career path was influenced by my time at Baylor. While pursuing my MPH in Epidemiology, I worked as a graduate practitioner at the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, assisting with projects, outbreaks, and working with data related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I chose to work under the Cal-EIS Fellowship because I wanted to continue to build on skills I developed in Waco. I wanted to gain additional experience with One Health topics, zoonotic diseases, and policy. When I applied to Cal-EIS I knew I would have the opportunity to grow in these areas.
What made your experience with CAL-EIS experience the most exciting or rewarding?
The most exciting aspect is definitely learning about diseases that affect animals, and whether they are transmissible from animals to humans. I work with veterinarians on a daily basis, and they have so much knowledge regarding One Health topics, from rabies prevention to animal importation at the LAX airport. There are several other rewarding experiences that are ongoing as well. For example, our program has a grant that allows us to test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in animals. I help manage the data for this grant and have swabbed animals to obtain samples at local shelters here in Los Angeles. So, I get to interact with cute animals! We also monitor for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in birds. I have visited several parks in LA to conduct field investigations to look for potential exposures that make birds sick. You see some amazing things in veterinary public health, especially as an epidemiologist!
What’s one piece of advice you would give to current MPH students or to fellow alumni?
One piece of advice would be to not undersell your experience, and do not be afraid to diversify that experience. I was very focused on chronic diseases and preventative factors while I was at Baylor, then transitioned into a role with a zoonotic disease emphasis. While challenging, this helped expand my skillset and demonstrates adaptability to employers. It has also allowed me to better determine what jobs will be a good match for me in the future. Additionally, as an MPH student or graduate, you continuously gain data analysis skills and learn to use different software. Share that experience with potential employers and leverage your data-related skills in interviews!
Are there any volunteering opportunities that you have pursued that you would like to share with students and alumni? Are there ways they can get involved as well?
I encourage everyone to consider volunteering and donating to local animal shelters. They can always use additional hands and help! Monitoring animal health is vital for preventing future pandemics. Our own cats were once strays (one is a Waco native) and came from less than stellar situations. Consider adopting from a local shelter if you are able!