Class Of 2004

Dr. Whitney Austin Gray, an alumna of both the undergraduate PHS program (’04) and the Bloomberg School of Public Health (’10), has built a career at the intersection of public health and environmental design. She now works as a Senior Vice President at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), where she leads research efforts to improve public health through better building design, community development, and organizational practices. In Whitney’s words, “I have evolved my studies in public health into design, recognizing that it is one of the most powerful ways to make change. Instead of treating the problem, better to design it out to begin with.”

We asked Whitney for some additional insights on her career and educational journey:

Could you explain what you do and what is rewarding about your job?
Ultimately in public health, I believe that it is about finding a space that you can help truly be of service, and empower others to make change you see as possible. Since so many leaders in public health are also change makers, we subscribe to a model of believing what is possible, and our work becomes engaging others to implement it. I work in designing for health, or the intersection of the human environment interaction. As such, I focus on a wealth of areas including air quality, the microbiome, water purification, activity and movement, social connection, aging in place, and brain health-to name but a few. But I am not a designer or an architect….I work with them everyday as part of the WELL Building Standard to help translate research into action, and in doing so, hope that I can serve by translating my knowledge into places that help people thrive.

Any favorite book or books that have influenced you?
The Obstacle is the Way