Whether the issue is a pandemic, vaccinations, or any number of other public health issues, a major challenge for advocates is communicating crucial information in a way that builds trust and changes behavior. Today we’ll hear an episode of the new podcast This Is Her Place which tells the stories of three women who rose to that challenge.
We'll hear about Dr. Angela Dunn, the current state epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health who is on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic; Annie Dodge Wauneka, a tribal elder and public health advocate who worked in the Navajo Nation in the mid-twentienth century; and Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon, the first female state senator in the U.S. and driving force behind one of the country’s first state-sponsored boards of health. This Is Her Place tells the remarkable stories of Utah women past and present in all their diversity. In addition to hearing this complete episode, co-host Naomi Watkins joins us to talk about the podcast.
Naomi Watkins is an educational leader, women's advocate, and community builder who believes that diverse representation plays a vital role in the empowerment of young people. She authored Champions of Change: 25 Women Who Made History, a book written with Katherine Kitterman and illustrated by Brooke Smart as part of her work for Better Days 2020, a non-profit dedicated to popularizing Utah women’s history through art, education, and legislation. An expert in teacher education and literacy pedagogy, Naomi earned her Ph.D. from the University of Utah and resides and hikes in the mountains of Salt Lake City.
