Honor Society® member
Guinevere Ellison-Giles
APHL-CDC Environmental Health Fellow at Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) stationed at the Public Health Laboratory of East Texas (PHLET) ● An integral part of a CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and an APHL (Association of Public Health Laboratories) funded project working as part of a multi-organizational team establishing wastewater surveillance detecting of SARS-CoV-2 ● Works in recruiting wastewater facilities and other decentralized systems across the North East Texas Region ● Coordinates and collects samples from the sites and delivers them to the laboratory in conjunction with NET Health (the North East Texas regional health department) ● Aids in running molecular analyses of wastewater samples in PHLET (the Public Health Laboratory of East Texas) ● Inputs and organizes epidemiological data gathered from testing for dissemination to the public
- University of South Florida
- Public Health
- Class of 2021
- Tyler, TX
Member since April 2022
About
I am a recent graduate from the University of South Florida where I received my Bachelor's of Science in Public Health focusing on infection control. I am currently pursuing higher education to obtain a Master's in Public Health from the top public school for public health, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Public Health. My professional experiences have aligned more with environmental health, a subdivision of public health and a passion of mine. I interned at the National Forest Service for 4 years working under Wildlife Management and Silviculture and have continued pursuing that interest in my current position as an APHL-CDC Environmental Health Fellow stationed at the Public Health Laboratory of East Texas. This position focuses on the design, implementation, and establishment of a water-based epidemiology program to detect SARS-CoV-2 within 7 counties of East Texas, where I work in the identification and recruitment of facilities, aid in running molecular diagnostics, organize epidemiological data for dissemination to the public, and coordinate logistics between these different departments.
Education
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gilings Global School of Public Health
Master's in Public Health
2022 – 2024
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University of South Florida College of Public Health
Bachelor's of Science in Public Health
2020 – 2021
Honors and awards
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Global Citizenship Award
The Global Citizen Award honors outstanding students who have actively engaged in intercultural initiatives on campus or abroad and who have exemplified leadership in promoting and supporting a global community.
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Peace Corps Prep Program Award
This is a certificate program training students and empowering them to be prepared for the Peace Corps.
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Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
CERT is a FEMA organized certificate program training members of the community how to respond to emergencies within their area as a part of a volunteer effort in each region and around the world.
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Dean's List
An award given to students who were exemplary in their academic field.
Goals and interests
- Career goal
My current position as an APHL-CDC Environmental Health Fellow has gotten my foot in the door for public health on local, state, and national levels. As I continue higher education and obtain an MPH, I would like to continue this trajectory and work either with or alongside the CDC, hopefully in disease surveillance. As I plan to pursue a doctorate, I will be eligible in applying for the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service, a program in which I feel I would excel and would also have a huge impact on the trajectory of my career.
- Graduate school interests
I am currently in the process of obtaining my Master's in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Public Health, the top public school in public health and second overall. My concentration is in Leadership in Practice which focuses on the design, implementation, and establishment of public health programs which aligns well with my current position as an APHL-CDC Environmental Health Fellow. After graduating, I plan to continue higher education pursuing a doctorate in public health, possibly focusing on epidemiology.
- Outside the classroom
Volunteering is something I am very passionate about, especially when it concerns the environment and sustainability, as well as subjects tied to public health and participate often.
Anything that can be done outdoors is a hobby of mine:
- Rockclimbing
- Hiking
- Mountain biking
- Camping
- Kayaking
- White water rafting
- Backpacking
- Yoga
- Tennis
- Volleyball
However, my hobbies have a broader range than that as I also love reading, painting, baking, and watching old films.
Experience
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APHL-CDC Environmental Health Fellow
Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) stationed at the Public Health Laboratory of East Texas (PHLET) ● An integral part of a CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and an APHL (Association of Public Health Laboratories) funded project working as part of a multi-organizational team establishing wastewater surveillance detecting of SARS-CoV-2 ● Works in recruiting wastewater facilities and other decentralized systems across the North East Texas Region ● Coordinates and collects samples from the sites and delivers them to the laboratory in conjunction with NET Health (the North East Texas regional health department) ● Aids in running molecular analyses of wastewater samples in PHLET (the Public Health Laboratory of East Texas) ● Inputs and organizes epidemiological data gathered from testing for dissemination to the public
Feb 2022 – Feb 2023
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Anthropology Intern
Silver River Museum ● Provided hands-on education for grade school children and the general public ● Taught local history of the surrounding area to 4th grade children ● Provided an environmental science interactive lecture to 5th grade children in a clear, understandable, and interesting way
Sep 2017 – May 2018
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Wildlife Management/Silviculture Intern
National Forest Service; USDA Ocala National Forest ● Tested various parameters for water quality in local lakes and bodies of water ● Collected data and recorded invasive species in collaboration with a Wildlife Management team ● Operated independently on non-native invasive species control under Silviculture ● Met OSHA standards when dealing with hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals ● Conducted research with technical equipment including trembles and Avenza programs
May 2016 – Jun 2020
Volunteering
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Forest Clean-Up Volunteer/Mentor ● Instructed and led a team of individuals, both workers for the Forest Service and volunteers, through an environmental clean-up of the Ocala National Forest
National Forest Service; USDA
May 2016 – Jun 2019
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Volunteer Docent and Silviculture restoration • Volunteer working both as a docent and with teams involved directly with the wildlife rehabilitation centers • Non-native plant removal to restore habitat and restoration of native plants and to protect animal habitats
CALM (California Living Museum)
Nov 2014 – Dec 2015
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Silviculture Intern • Non-native plant removal to restore habitat and restoration of native plants
Kern River Preserve
May 2014 – Sep 2015
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Silviculture Intern • Non-native plant removal to restore habitat and restoration of native plants
Windwolves Preserve
May 2014 – Sep 2015
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Volunteer • A citizen science organization which involved surveying and locating rare, threatened, and endangered plants to provide occurrence data to state and federal agencies
California Native Plant Society
Jan 2014 – Dec 2015
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Fundraiser, Mentor, and Inventory worker • Raised funding and provided transportation and caretakers for families and children with incarcerated parents to visit their families, as well as providing food and gifts for the families and children throughout various locations in the state of California
Get on the Bus
Jan 2014 – Dec 2015
Languages
- Spanish Fluent
- French (France) Beginner
Additional information
Organizations
