Taylor Lang

What inspired you to study public health? 

I was inspired by the work I was involved in in rural western North Carolina around COVID-19 as well as Cherokee language revitalization. Seeing the way social determinants of health impacted our region made me want to affect change in any way possible.

What has been the single most rewarding experience of your career/studies so far? 

The most rewarding experience for me has been the ability to travel and talk about my public health work with other professionals. It is amazing to see other people who are just as excited and motivated about improving population health!

Where did you do your practicum? What was it about? 

I did my practicum with Polk County Public Health in Minnesota while I served them through the Public Health AmeriCorps. I created toolkits to educate the community on the benefits of outdoor play and connecting to your place in the world through an Indigenous lens, especially focused on Traditional Ecological Knowledge. I had the amazing opportunity through the Public Health AmeriCorps to present this project at the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting.

What do you hope to accomplish in your career? 

I hope to impact the public health communications field in a way that centers equity and social determinants of health, and eventually teach new public health students in the field.

Advice: 

I had great mentors, so the biggest piece of advice I would give is to keep an open mind and recognize how many disciplines can impact the public’s health. I practice saying yes to every new opportunity, because they can all be used to further our communities!

If you are working, what is your job? 

I serve as the Outreach & Communications Specialist for various public health grant programs at the University of North Dakota.

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