New Cohort of Rural Environmental Health T32 Trainees Announced
June 24, 2025
We are excited to announce the newest additions to the Interfaces of Global Change IGEP, the Rural Environmental Health T32 trainees!
The Rural Environmental Health T32 predoctoral training program at Virginia Tech is a competitive program that provides PhD students with training in environmental health sciences, with a focus on applications in rural landscapes. Trainees will complete rural environmental health specific training covering toxicology, epidemiology, exposure science, and community-based methods. REH T32 trainees receive assistantship and tuition support for their first two years of the program.
The REH T32 program also includes admission into the Interfaces of Global Change Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program (IGC IGEP). Through participation in this program, REH T32 trainees will become part of a campus-wide network of scholars studying diverse facets of global change and will have unique access to visiting scholars, workshops, and other professional development opportunities.
Welcome to the Interfaces of Global Change Rowan and Olivia!
Rowan Mainsonneuve
2025 Rural Environmental Health T32 Trainee
Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health
Rowan is a PhD student in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health (TBMH) in Dr. Steven Poelzing’s lab. Her main areas of interest include basic science, public health, and epidemiology. She is interested in cardiac electrophysiology and how environmental factors may influence susceptibility to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest.
Advised by Dr. Steven Poelzing.
Olivia Yancey
2025 Rural Environmental Health T32 Trainee
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Olivia is a PhD student in the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) in Dr. Amy Pruden’s lab. Olivia’s research interests lie at the intersection of microbiology, environmental health, and public health, with a particular focus on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in rural and decentralized wastewater systems.
Advised by Dr. Amy Pruden.
