Flint

Jennifer Smith checks readings on a meter

'The point is human health'

Doctoral student feels compelled to help others

When Jennifer Smith considers the role researchers should play as environmental disasters devastate communities across the map, she is guided by her concern for the individuals connected to the countless personal stories, and an awareness of the immeasurable pain involved in places such as Flint, Michigan, and East Palestine, Ohio.

Moving puzzle pieces that form blue, green and pink globes and a globe that looks like earth

Exploring environmental equity and impacts on human health

Environmental health experts at the University of Michigan School of Public Health are immersed in understanding the connection between the health of individuals and communities and the environment—whether it’s the air we breathe, water we drink, food we eat, products we use or places we live and work.