Emerging Women Leaders Program Promotes Diversity in Public Health Leadership

Since its inception in 2019, the Emerging Women Leaders (EWL) Program at the School of Public Health has worked to provide career mentorship opportunities for doctoral students to address gender inequity and foster career progression among women and underrepresented groups.

Launched by an SPH faculty member and two doctoral students, the program connects students with senior public health leaders through a variety of activities, including specialized workshops, networking events, and mentorship circles. Over the last two and a half years, more than 40 students from all five doctoral programs at SPH have taken part in these activities.

“Our hope with this work is that our students are able to gain essential leadership skills and build a strong network of diverse public health leaders they can reach out to for guidance and support as they navigate their program and early career,” says Veronika Wirtz, professor of global health, EWL faculty lead, and co-founder of the program. “Good career mentorship truly makes a difference, and I want everyone in our doctoral programs to have the opportunity to benefit from it.”

The program emphasizes career mentorship beyond just coursework to address the unique needs and concerns of doctoral students.

Nedghie Adrien, a PhD candidate in the Department of Epidemiology, highlights that she has often struggled with identifying mentors throughout her educational journey who are not solely focused on her academic trajectory.

“The EWL program is different,” she says. “I have not only found a mentor who has been great with sharing information and her own experiences around building a career in public health, but I have also been able to learn from students in different programs across SPH. I’ve also really grown in my ability to think outside of the box when it comes to mapping out potential career opportunities. As someone in a PhD program, there is an expectation that I may follow the ‘traditional’ academia path, but because of our mentor’s experiences and advice, I’m starting to see that a different path is possible.”

Similarly, Megan Ivankovich (SPH’22), a recent graduate of the DrPH program, says that from her very first meeting with EWL, she received invaluable advice from her mentor on advancing her professional development, looking and applying for jobs, and building a professional network.

“I really enjoyed my time in the EWL program, and I learned so much from the experience,” she says. “I know I will be able to continue to seek advice from both my mentor and other program participants long throughout my career.”

In addition to the mentorship circles, the program also hosts an event series throughout the academic year, featuring workshops to build leadership skills and networking events to meet with established and emerging public health leaders. These events are open to the entire BU community.

As the program moves into its third year, Wirtz says the priority areas of EWL will center around securing future funding to ensure sustainability of the program and continuing to foster diversity and inclusion in all that they do.

“We cannot expect more diversity in public health leadership without contributing and fostering such diversity at both institutional and individual levels,” she says. “Evidence has shown that institutionally supported mentoring programs make a difference in providing early career professionals with the necessary skills and opportunities to succeed. EWL sends an important message that fostering diversity in leadership is relevant and needed, and that SPH is committed to supporting such diversity.”