Employee Spotlight: Allison Eames

Meet ORAU Employee Allison Eames. Allison is one of our amazing Research Associates. As an ORAU Student Services Contractor for the EPA Office of Research and Development, she is currently working on a Regional Applied Research Effort (RARE) project in conjunction with EPA Region 5. Allison and her co-workers are investigating exposure to mineral particulates in mining communities. Their goal is to get into the field during 2019 to collect samples. “I find this work really important because there is a history of elevated disease and cancer in these populations. Last week, I presented our plan to technical experts at a meeting in Seattle, and I’m so grateful for their feedback and assistance. Scientists are so welcoming! We also were lucky and had sunshine all week, leading to beautiful views of the mountains.”

Last January, Allison presented some of her Washington State research at the American Meteorology Society Conference in Austin, TX. In early December, she attended the annual meeting for EPA’s Technical Review Workgroup on asbestos in Seattle. She saw laboratory demonstrations and listened to experts discuss the state of the science on asbestos. She also presented her current project plan and received technical feedback.

“In terms of future endeavors, I’m very interested in how climate change will impact vulnerable groups, specifically women and children, and how public health professionals can mitigate some of these effects. At some point I will definitely be attending graduate school in the public health arena, but I’m keeping my options open for now!” Besides being an amazing Research Associate, Alison is also a pet parent. She has a corn snake named Chupy and a German shepherd puppy named Lady Lechuga.

Background

Allison grew up in the Atlanta area, where she spent her time involved in theater, diving, and volunteering. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill where she received her BSPH in Environmental Health at the Gillings Global School of Public Health (minor in Chemistry). Her degree was interdisciplinary. She had the opportunity to work on various research projects throughout her undergrad which helped her figure out what she wanted to do. While in school, she also volunteered as a birth doula at UNC Hospitals and participated in women’s activism groups.