Audra bass
USA
Public Health Master’s Student
Hello! My name is Audra, and I was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I went to Duke University for my undergrad where I got my B.S. Biology and minor in Religious Studies. While at Duke I spent a huge part of my undergrad at the Duke Lemur Center. This is a place I got to explore the world of non-invasive research and the behavioral studies of amazing creatures, such as lemurs. That experience was a dream and really set the stage for small field experiences, such as field based studies in the South Africa OTS program or working as a field intern in the Peruvian Amazon. It was in the Peruvian Amazon, specifically the Madre de Region, where my passion for environmental justice truly sparked - that environmental conservation and ecosystem preservation should not exclude the wellbeing of people, especially the peoples that base their livelihoods, culture, etc. off the land. I was tired of being in a space that was loud and passionate about protecting forests and ecosystems but barely spoke up for people. I once had a professor that passionately proposed that a Nature Reserve in Madagascar be completely blocked off from people, even the locals, to protect the biodiversity inside. That was my first taste of witnessing neocolonialism and it didn't set well with me. I did have some incredible mentors/bosses/professors who did advocate for people in the biological/ecological world, but I wanted to delve a little further into the world of social justice. I eventually found myself drawn to Global Health, which I explored more after graduation. My interests and goals led me to Tamil Nadu, India where I did a 10 month fellowship working for Keystone Foundation. This was an NGO that had spent the past 20+ years supporting the livelihoods of various indigenous people groups in the Nilgiris Biosphere and in supporting those groups also played a major role in the preservation of that Biosphere. My passions for wellbeing of the environment and of people began to mesh and mold.
I later returned to Peru (a full circle from years ago in college) and worked on WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) projects for two years in a small community (Tsachopen) nestled in the cloud rainforest of Pasco, Peru. Water is a quintessential example of how the wellbeing of living beings is deeply interconnected (clean water ensures the better health of people and the first step to clean water is preserving natural ecosystems). I have since moved to Atlanta, Georgia and started my Master's of Public Health at Emory University. I am in the Global Environmental Health Concentration. Over the next two years I am going to develop my skills and passions in WASH, infectious diseases, and women's and children's health.