Student Spotlight: Angelique Willis

Master of Public Health student Angelique Willis is passionate about the connections between environmental and human health. She received the 2022 MPH Achievement Award for excelling both inside the classroom and out.

Name: Angelique B. Willis

Hometown: Decatur, Georgia

Undergraduate degree and institution: Bachelor of Science in Public Health, Georgia State University

Why did you choose the Georgia State School of Public Health?
I chose the Georgia State School of Public Health because of the professors who taught me for my undergraduate degree. They were knowledgeable and patient and cared about our learning. I knew they taught on the master’s level, so I continued my master’s at the Georgia State School of Public Health.

Which MPH concentration did you choose, and why?
I chose environmental health because of my love for the environment. I have always loved the outdoors and felt it was my duty to protect the environment from harm. When I took my undergraduate classes in environmental health, Dr. Christine Stauber reaffirmed my love and passion for environmental health, and I have been studying it ever since.

What advice would you give undergraduate students considering pursuing an MPH at Georgia State?
I would advise undergraduate students considering an MPH is to let that passion and love for public health guide them in their MPH. Always use your creativity, and know it is okay to think outside the box! Don’t be afraid to speak up and voice your opinions because, one day, your ideas can help millions!

Tell us about your campus involvement. (e.g., clubs and organizations):
I am currently a member of the MeTa Series committee in the School of Public Health, which brings students, faculty, staff, and alums together to network with public health leaders. Also, I am a part of the International Student Club in the School of Public Health. The International Student Club is a club of students from many different cultures and backgrounds that come together to host cultural events and outings. Lastly, I am also part of the Department of Geoscience’s Disaster Informatics and Computational Epidemiology (DICE) lab. DICE is a catalyst for collaboration among scientists and practitioners from diverse domains to develop data-driven, computational methodologies that facilitate research to address challenges and disparities in disaster mitigation, public health, and response planning.

What’s your career aspiration?
I aspire to be a professor teaching environmental health and epidemiology topics. Also, I aspire to be a researcher studying the influence of geology on environmental exposures.