Emily Smith: The Science of the Good Samaritan

"I don’t think people really understand what systemic racism, structural violence, and equity actually are because I think if you do, you realize they’re holy words — because they’re showing us where heaven isn’t quite on earth yet." — Dr. Emily Smith

Epidemiologist and professor Dr. Emily Smith joins us on the podcast to discuss compassion, public health, and the challenges of thriving as a woman in science. 

How do we live as true neighbors in a world that is designed for more for competition and inequality than compassion? Epidemiologist and professor Dr. Emily Smith joins us on the podcast to discuss her book The Science of the Good Samaritan: Thinking Bigger About Loving Our Neighbors. During the height of the pandemic, Emily became known as The Friendly Neighborhood Epidemiologist through her social media outlets where she reached 3-4 million people per month during the years 2020-2021. I remember those days, and I depended on Emily’s updates to help me stay informed about keeping safe while the public health landscape shifted dramatically. It was a real treat to talk with her about her work as an epidemiologist, and also to hear her thoughts on life as a faculty member, as a scientist, as a global citizen and as a faithful Christian working to integrate all parts of her life into a whole. And if you listen to the end of the credits, you’ll hear an excerpt from our conversation where Emily shares about thriving as a woman in science.

So jump right in! We're so glad you're here.

— Ann Boyd

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

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