Taylor Lawson

Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences MPH ‘19

Data and Research Manager, Nurses for Newborns

What kind of experiences brought you to Rollins?

I grew up in Washington State and went to undergrad there at Western Washington University. My major was in human services so through that I had quite a bit of direct experience working with non-profits in the area.

What did you study at Rollins and why did you choose this?

BSHES – I love behavioral science, and at one point in my life I wanted to be a neuroscientist. My specific focus in graduate school was substance use among women, especially pregnant women or women starting a family. I thought that really fit into the behavioral side.

During your time at Rollins, what experiences did you enjoy most?

BSHES is a very collaborative department, and I loved the fact that we had smaller class sizes. It really allowed for us to get close as a cohort and explore each other’s interests and see how they fit together.

The MCH cohort is even smaller than BSHES so it is all about collaboration. Definitely stay in touch with your cohort, it is incredible what doors will open by being genuine friends with folks. The whole experience with MCH made me feel like part of the community there.

What kind of academic and professional opportunities were you involved in at Rollins?

Women’s Health Policy was one of my absolute favorite classes because it felt real-world from day one. I was the student liaison for the educational branch of the Center for Reproductive Health Research in the Southeast (RISE). This was great for me because I got to see all opportunities, courses, and partners available at Emory. I also worked with the Georgia Health Policy Center on a systematic review for maternal and child health national standards and policies created in any sector. I went to an Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs conference with that project and presented my findings.

What have you done since Rollins? What have you enjoyed about the roles?

I moved to St. Louis because I had a job offer with local nonprofit called Nurses for Newborns. My job is a research and data manager, and they were really excited that I had an Emory MPH. All of our grants require some kind of reporting to funders, and on the research side, we’re working to become evidence-based as a home visitation program to prevent child abuse and neglect and promote healthy development in children.

The role is ever-changing, sometimes I wear my technology hat so I know a lot about security and software, which is not something I studied in school. That’s the name of the game when working for a non-profit.

How have you used your degree in your role?

We’ve been working on survey development to get feedback from clients and having that evaluation piece feed back into the work we do. I facilitated a focus group with our home visitors. Also grant writing, which I did my capstone in.

What advice do you have for current MCH trainees?

In the job search, I think that what really helped was building relationships with the people you might want to work for. That involves putting that extra step in to make yourself known and to invest time in getting to know the folks you’d be working with and their hopes and dreams for the organization.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I am a runner, and I also have taught myself how to play the mandolin since COVID started.