[Pharm27] Women’s History Month Spotlight: Dr. Emily Bailey - Public Health

[Byrd, Kenley E]

Dear CPHS Community,
In honor of Women’s History Month, we are excited to spotlight Dr. Emily Bailey, a distinguished member of our Pharmaceutical Science faculty.
March marks Women’s History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the remarkable contributions of women throughout history. In honor of this month, CPHS Student Affairs will be highlighting inspiring women faculty from our programs who have made a lasting impact in healthcare, science, and education. Join us every Tuesday and Thursday as we showcase their journeys, achievements, and contributions to the fields you are pursuing today.

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📌 About Dr. Emily Bailey:

Assistant Professor

Public Health

💡 Q&A Highlight:
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in Public Health?
     For me, public health has always been more about impact than career. I sought out laboratory experience because I wanted to do something where I could see a practical difference in the world around me. I grew up in a rural town that had limited opportunities for advancement in science education. I took the basic biology and chemistry classes in high school, but we did not have advanced equipment or the ability to take AP or college level credit. So, jumping into hands on lab experience in public health was a dream opportunity for me. My first project was focused on developing point of use water filters for communities with inadequate water supplies. Even today these types of filters are used after disaster situations such as hurricanes and fires that affect our state every year.

Q: Can you share a defining moment in your career?
     I don’t have one defining moment, but coming to Campbell has been a defining moment in that I restructured the focus of my work to center around rural communities. This shift has been very important to my goals as a researcher, and I plan to continue incorporate rural community goals into this work.

Q: What challenges have you faced as a woman in science, and how did you overcome them?
      Everyone faces challenges, and I don’t like to think of mine as uniquely centered on my gender. I will say that I have often been the only woman in my program, in the room, in the group, etc. at times. This can be a challenging place to be but, in environmental health in particular, some of the jobs are dirty, think of septic tanks and water treatment plants. I find that being open to all perspectives and brining my own training and experience is the right way to approach these situations, even if my voice can be quiet at times.

Q: How has your work contributed to the advancement of healthcare and science?
      My work has focused on the advancement of environmental public health, in particular the microbiological evaluation of technologies, microbiological detection of pathogens, as well as examining problems from a One Health perspective. At this stage in my career, I believe that my work has contributed to continuing environmental applications of these technologies and serving communities that continue to need support, particularly water related resources for either water purification or testing.

Q: What advice would you give to students, especially women, pursuing careers in science?
      The advice I give to all students is that the first thing you have to think about is what you are trying to do with the time that you have. What is your goal? Once you figure that out, your career will make more sense and many of the questions you worry about and ask yourself to make more sese. All of us are looking for a purpose and in public health, service drive life can help us fulfill that mission, but it is important when you start pursuing a career to think about your goals. Don’t wait until the middle, start thinking about these things from the very beginning.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about working in education and mentoring students?
      The most rewarding part about working in education and mentoring students is seeing them succeed. I have students who have gone on to do great things and I enjoy both seeing them succeed, first in the classroom and in our program, as they learn how to do public health work. Then I also enjoy seeing them succeed out in the community where they often go on to have a direct impact on the projects and communities they learned to service during our program.

Q: How do you think we can continue to support and uplift women?
      For me, the best way to uplift women is to build networks. This might mean that I spend time getting to know women who do different types of research than I do, but it has allowed me to connect students with other public health practitioners locally and in other areas. In supporting women in public health, it is a complicated journey in that requires the support of other people. Building these networks is one of the best ways to continue to support and uplift anyone pursuing a career in public health.

Q: What is one piece of advice you wish you had received earlier in your career?
      Something I wish I had known earlier was that it is OK to ask for help. If you are overwhelmed, be honest with yourself and tell someone else. Public health/healthcare/any work we do in CPHS is a team sport, that means that we are not doing this work alone, so that means your projects are not 100% your own. Most people need to hear this at some point in their career.

Q: How do you balance your professional and personal life?
      I think that this is a weekly challenge, and one that my students probably think that I cannot do (I am notorious for answering emails on the weekend), but for me it is more about mental space rather than balancing personal and professional. I do not have a firm boundary when it comes to work and life, but rather I keep metal space between what I do at work and home to make sure I feel like I have a break from work. My first question in every class is “what did you do this week that was fun”, because I want to remind my students that this time (Graduate school) is real life, they should have fun. The same is true in my own life. I try to balance the work with the fun and sometimes that means I need to answer my emails on Saturday so I can go to the gym on Tuesday.

Q: What book, podcast, or resource would you recommend to students or professionals in your field?
      I just watched a new series on Netflix called “Toxic Town”, they did a really good job of showing the harm that environmental hazards can do to communities. This town (Corby) in the United Kingdom was the first to show a link between airborne contaminants and human health issues, in this case birth defects.

Join us in celebrating Dr. Emily Bailey and all the amazing women shaping the future of healthcare and science. Stay tuned for more inspiring spotlights every Tuesday and Thursday!

All the Best,

Office of Student Affairs | Campbell University | College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences


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