Elizabeth Rojo's path to the DPHS PhD in Population Health Sciences program has been anything but linear. Born in Mexico and raised between Michoacan and the Bay Area, Elizabeth's diverse background and experiences have shaped her academic and professional journey. She has worked internationally, co-developing and growing projects in Mexico, Tanzania, Ghana, and the U.S. With over a decade of experience within the University of California system, her work has spanned areas such as HIV, emergency medicine, global health education, minority aging, and COVID-19 workforce development training.
Elizabeth's educational background includes a master's degree in International Relations from the IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs and an undergraduate degree in International Business and Finance from San Francisco State University. She also served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps in a role equivalent to a civilian paralegal. Her decision to pursue a PhD at Duke was motivated by the university's new Duke Climate Commitment, which aligns with her research interests.
Elizabeth is passionate about ensuring the inclusion of historically marginalized populations in climate and health research. She sees an opportunity to co-create and co-design with these communities, fostering win-win partnerships that can inform policy, drive meaningful change, and advance protections for outdoor workers. Her dissertation explores the effects of extreme heat on farmworker communities in North Carolina. Having also experienced wildfires in California, she is driven to understand how these environmental factors affect farmworker health.
“I asked myself how the air pollution from wildfires would impact farm worker health,” Elizabeth said. “Now that I’m in North Carolina, I have to admit I never experienced summer heat in the U.S. like I did last year when I moved to the area. My question has now shifted to my local context. How does heat impact farmworker health as temperatures continue to rise due to climate change?”
In her climate and health research, Elizabeth is mentored by Hayden Bosworth, PhD, with additional academic support from her program advisors, Asheley Skinner, PhD, and Hannah Lane, PhD.
Elizabeth co-leads the DPHS ClimateChange X PopHealth Working Group. This initiative, part of Duke's Climate Commitment, aims to create a network of faculty, staff, students, and professionals within the Research Triangle region to address climate change and its impact on population health. The group focuses on equitable community engagement and collaborative grant writing with a symposium planned for next spring.
Duke has provided Elizabeth with numerous opportunities for professional growth. She was recently one of four Duke students selected to participate in the USAID Science for Development Summer Institute in Washington, DC, where she networked with experts and like-minded individuals from across the country.
Elizabeth also serves as an active member of DPHS' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee and as the chair of the membership committee for the Latino Caucus for Public Health.
Outside of academia, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her daughter, exploring nature, hiking, and learning about new cultures and history through travel and dance. She is also a children's book author, having written "La Casa de Vicky," a Spanish picture book inspired by her abuela, hometown, and culture.