In our Alumni Career Spotlight series, you will meet some of our alumni and learn about the important work they are doing to create a healthier nation and world.
Amy Shackelford
Employer: ISCTE – Lisbon, Portugal
Current position: Early stage researcher – PhD student
Location: Lisbon
Degrees: Bachelor of Social Work – IUPUI; Master of Social Work – IUPUI; Master of Public Health – IUPUI
Why did you choose your major/program?
I chose to do a dual master’s program in social work and public health because I see the intersections of the two fields as critical for a just future. Public health was specifically important for me in understanding the complexities that inform the baseline of wellbeing in our societies. I feel that public health is everywhere and everything.
Do you have any research interests?
I am currently researching social work and environmental justice through the eco-social approach as part of the ASTRA Institute in Europe.
I am also interested in researching abolition social work, gender, decolonized health and wellness, anti-racism, community organizing, and environmental justice.
Briefly describe your career path.
I began working in nonprofit organizations when I was 17, which is how I found my way to social work. After completing my bachelor of social work program, I worked as a community organizer in Indianapolis in multiple organizations.
The intersection of health with social justice issues came up consistently, and so I decided to return to school for a master’s in social work and public health. My goal was to strengthen my understandings of both fields to be able to work in more leadership roles and have greater influence.
From there, I moved to Cape Town, South Africa to complete my final internship requirements at an organization that works with migrants and people with refugee backgrounds. After my internship, the organization hired me to help manage the women’s program. I worked to incorporate health into the program through developing a women’s health clinic with medical students and conducting educational workshops for women on health-related issues.
I returned to Indianapolis in 2019 where I took a program director position at an immigrant-serving organization where health continued to be a major focus of mine, specifically during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, I am a funded PhD student through the ASTRA program where I research environmental justice and social work through the eco-social approach in Lisbon, Portugal.
Describe what an average day for you might be like.
An average day for me consists of reading articles, blogs, and books related to environmental justice and eco-social approaches. I spend time writing and ideating around what these concepts look like practically and how they apply to my research. I spend time guest lecturing on the eco-social approach and community organizing for students and other groups.
What advice would you give your college self about pursuing your current career path or industry?
I would tell my current self to treat every connection, volunteer or internship opportunity and relationship with a professor as a potential career opportunity.
What is a lesson learned at FSPH that you have been able to apply to your career?
At FSPH, I really struggled in my biostatistics class. I learned to reach out and ask for help from the professor, who then connected me with a tutor who helped me succeed in the class. Asking for help is not normalized in our culture and especially in academics, so that was a really important lesson for me. It is okay to ask for help!
What is the most significant thing that’s happened to you since graduating?
I think COVID-19 was the most significant thing for my life personally and professionally. It taught me to slow down and rest as a tool for liberation and to be my best self.
What’s next for you?
I would like to continue growing as a researcher, writer, and lecturer with the hope of being a facilitator and/or professor in the future.
What is your favorite IUPUI/FSPH memory?
My favorite memory is the friends I made while at IUPUI. I met so many student and staff activists who are passionate about seeing equity and justice manifested at the university. I learned a lot from working along side passionate people.
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