Erica Walker
Brown University
Providence, RI USA
"When you can be as outrageous as possible, you can be as creative as possible. And when you can be as creative as possible, you can do anything."
Career Roadmap
Erica's work combines: Science, Medicine, and Learning / Being Challenged
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Society has set up this expectation that young adults know what they want to do with their lives and go straight to school to pursue that. I fell into that pressure. Looking back, I wish I took more time to pause and explore what I really wanted to do. I think it's important that young people take as much time as they need and not succumb to the pressure of some exterior clock. You don't need to accomplish anything by any predetermined age. Tear down those expectations and go when you're ready.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Mathematics
Simmons University
Bachelor's Degree
Economics
Simmons University
Graduate Degree
Environmental Economics & Urban Planning
Tufts University
Doctorate
Environmental Health
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I grew up poor with little opportunity, which gave me the freeing mindset that everything is a bonus.
2.
I started my career as an artist, working as a furniture maker and a book binder.
3.
While working in my small basement studio, a very noisy family moved in above me—it caused me a huge amount of stress, so I started doing research and collecting data to get them evicted.
4.
Through that process of collecting data, I started learning more about other environmental stressors that people endure, which sparked my interest in public health.
5.
I decided to pivot into public health—I went back to school for my master’s degree in environmental economics and urban planning, followed by a doctorate in environmental health.
6.
I now work as an assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown University.
7.
I also founded Community Noise Lab, a research lab that explores the relationship between community noise and health.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You have to know what you want to do and go straight into college.
How I responded:
Society has set up this expectation that young adults know what they want to do with their lives and go straight to school to pursue that. I fell into that pressure. Looking back, I wish I took more time to pause and explore what I really wanted to do. I think it's important that young people take as much time as they need and not succumb to the pressure of some exterior clock. You don't need to accomplish anything by any predetermined age. Tear down those expectations and go when you're ready.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I grew up poor with little opportunity. At first, I saw this as a drawback because I didn't have the same opportunities as my peers. I now see it as freedom. I can pursue any path I want and not worry about the outcome because everything is a bonus.