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Brian Schlitt, Georgetown

Brian Schlitt is a senior biology major at Georgetown University on the premed track. He has had interests in medicine and environmental science since his childhood days of working on a cattle farm, and he has used that interest while working in several ecology-based labs at Georgetown. Currently, he is conducting a senior thesis project on the impacts of non-indigenous plant species on arthropod communities. In the future, Brian is interested in pursuing a combined MD/MPH degree program, and hopes to pursue career opportunities in environmental medicine. For this reason, Brian is extremely grateful to be able to work with so many leaders in the field of environmental health and medicine at VCCA. This year during his fellowship, Brian hopes to make an impact on climate policy whilst also gaining heavy exposure to a field he is heavily interested in.

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Patrick Roney, University of Virginia

Patrick Roney is a fourth-year at the University of Virginia pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Science. Patrick’s interest in studying extreme weather impacts on human populations began while working with Dr. Bob Davis to investigate heat mortality, mortality displacement, and SARS CoV-2. His expertise includes managing big data and communicating technical information. Working to execute VCCA’s project “A Combined Public Health and Urban Planning Approach to Building Heat Resilience in Southwestern Virginia” is a perfect intersection for Patrick, where he can work on both researching weather’s effects on health while simultaneously implementing that information to create effective solutions for today.

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Tess Robertson-Neel, University of Virginia

Tess Robertson-Neel is a student at the University of Virginia graduating this spring with a double major in Global Public Health and Spanish. Tess is a Jefferson Scholar at the University pursuing the 4+1 Masters in Public Health with a Health Policy, Law, and Ethics concentration. She is passionate about the effects of the climate conditions, environmental toxins and on health outcomes and how policy affects those outcomes. Prior to working with VCCA, Tess worked as a research assistant studying the rights and health of migrant farm workers in the United States. Going forward, Tess hopes to pursue a PHD in Environmental health and to apply her experiences in health and climate policy to understanding the impacts of climate related threats on women’s and maternal health.

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Student Fellows

Past Fellows

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Ursula Gately
Advocacy & Research Fellow
Steering Committee Member
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Ursula is a junior at Georgetown University studying Biology of Global Health and Environmental Studies on the premed track. She became very interested in the intersection of environmental and social determinants of health when volunteering as a medical scribe in internal medicine back home in Arizona. In the past, she has conducted research on mosquito resting and climate change with Arizona State University and worked as a wrangler at a dude ranch in Colorado. Currently, she leads the environmental justice branch of Georgetown's Renewable Energy and Environmental Network and is the executive director of Georgetown's Undergraduate Environmental Research Journal. Ursula is very grateful for the opportunity to continue on as VCCA's Advocacy and Research fellow this year. She is excited to learn more about environmental health issues and hopes VCCA will act as a touchstone in her learning how best to blaze a future for herself in the intersection of medicine and environmental health. 

Andrew Vanichkachorn
Education & Communications Fellow
Steering Committee Member
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Andrew Vanichkachorn graduated from the University of Virginia in 2021 with a double major in Global Public Health and Environmental Science. Since graduation, he is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Health at UVA's School of Medicine and is in the midst of applying to medical schools. Andrew has been a firm believer of health-based environmental action since high school and has long-term goals to integrate a future medical career with important public health aspects, such as environmental health. In the past, he has been very interested in eco-toxicology and has most recently investigated the potential risks of pollutants created in the wake of the worldwide pandemic. Andrew is excited to be a part of VCCA this year and hopes to learn more about present-day environmental health issues and to continue finding ways to link physicianship, public health, and environmental concerns over the next year.

Academic Year 2020-2021

Tammy Moscovich, University of Virginia

John Ryan, University of Virginia

Summer 2020

Joyce Cheng, University of Virginia and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

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