#Lang30: A Career in Public Health, Forged At Lang College
Brittany Charlton went to Harvard to learn how to be a doctor. But it was at Eugene Lang College that she learned an equally, if not more important, lesson: How to affect positive change and fight for equality.
A Liberal Arts major with concentrations in social and historical inquiry and urban studies, Charlton parlayed her experience at Lang into a career as a cutting edge public health researcher on reproductive and sexual health, including human papillomavirus infection/cervical cancer, contraceptives and LGBT health disparities.
“Thinking about social justice really informed my career in public health,” says Charlton, a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital. “Even now, I continue to draw on my academic experience.”
Every time she tackles a new research project or speaks to a room of students curious about epidemiology and public health, Charlton remembers the impact of her diverse New School liberal arts education and those who mentored her along the way. Ann Snitow, Laura Liu and Katayoun Chamany are amongst the most influential professors that guided Charlton’s path throughout her time at Lang. In fact, it was a class that Chamany taught on HPV that got Charlton “Thinking about disparities in public health.”
“Their devotion to their respective fields, pedagogy, and students was inspiring,” Charlton says. Now, she espouses the same devotion is in her own field.
Every Thursday, New_S presents a new story celebrating the 30th anniversary of Eugene Lang College. Are you a Lang graduate with a story to share? If so, please go here.