As Parker Willis nears the end of his time in BYU’s Public Health Department, he reflects on the journey that led him to where he is today.
Initially a construction management major, Willis discovered public health after a family member recommended a class taught by Dr. Thygerson.
“Two weeks into the class, I immediately realized that it was way more aligned with my interests than construction management,” said Willis. “I liked the people aspect of it a lot more.”
Eager to get involved, Willis quickly immersed himself in the program. Just a week after officially declaring his major, he became the membership coordinator for the Public Health leadership team, where he planned trips and recruited students to join the program.
Shortly after, Willis was offered an internship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Combining his passion for the gospel with public health, he worked to address occupational health hazards within the church.
“As a BYU student, this was extra special because I saw the behind-the-scenes of an organization that I care a lot about,” he said.
A year later, Willis ran for and was elected president of the leadership team.
“It was really easy for me to get involved with student leadership and get to know all the other students,” Willis said.
The following summer, Willis took his experience abroad through an internship in Thailand, where he assessed and mitigated risks for workers in a chemical manufacturing company.
“It was a pretty unique experience to get international exposure on top of the environmental and occupational health field,” he said.
Building on his international experience, Willis is now preparing for a competition in Japan focused on worker health and safety.
“Because of my internship in Thailand, I made some connections,” he said. Through these connections, Willis organized a team to compete in the expo presentation.
Before heading to Japan, Willis will travel to Nepal to conduct research on particulate matter exposure in the homes of brick kiln workers. Just weeks away from departure, Willis and other researchers hope to study the total exposure of particulate matter to brick kiln workers.
After completing the research in Nepal and the competition in Japan, Willis will graduate this spring with a wealth of experiences that position him for a promising future in public health. Next fall, he plans to attend the University of Michigan’s Master of Public Health program.
“The plan in grad school is to really focus on research and see if that’s a route I’m interested in,” said Willis. “If not, the goal is to just help open doors for future leadership roles.”
In addition to research, Willis will teach undergraduate public health courses as a graduate student instructor, utilizing his leadership skills and academic expertise.
Through it all, Willis credits BYU’s Public Health program for shaping his career.
“You have to be able to problem-solve, and that’s something that BYU has really helped me with,” Willis said. “I’ve learned that you just have to figure it out as you go.”
From leadership opportunities at BYU to fieldwork in Thailand, Willis has made an impact in the public health world – one experience at a time.
