CATIE SCANNELL
2025-26 Traveling Fellow
Climate Health Through Women's Narratives: Exploring Geographic, Cultural and Socio-Historical Factors Shaping Women's Experiences of Climate Change and Public Health
It is clear that climate change imminently impacts human health from reduced air quality to increased vector-borne viruses to limited access to clean water sources. However, these impacts are not equal. During natural disasters, women experience higher fatality rates, greater risk of domestic violence, disproportionate job loss and decreased access to menstrual and prenatal healthcare. Through the Keegan Fellowship, Catie hopes to better understand how women experience climate change, leveraging personal narratives to substantiate global trends.
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Majors/Minors: Medicine, Health, and Society and Climate Studies/Spanish
Catie Scannell grew up in Marin County, California exploring the outdoors and witnessing the impacts of wildfires, sea level rise, and increasing temperatures. In 2020, she took a gap year to work as an Emergency Medical Technician in ambulances and vaccine centers. Her patients’ stories sparked her passion for public health and her interest in storytelling as a tool for social action.
During her time at Vanderbilt, Catie cultivated her global health and social impact skills through internships with the Tennessee Department of Health, Malaria Partners International, GSD Group, and the Vanderbilt Institute of Global Health. She fostered her passion for international travel by studying abroad in Sevilla, Spain where she volunteered with an organization called Solidarios to support mindfulness and art therapy sessions for individuals experiencing homelessness. On campus, Catie engaged with the Vanderbilt community as the president of The Original Cast, the creator of a Climate Stories art installation for SPEAR, a performer for VUT, a member of greek life and a tour guide.
Catie loves playing music, being in nature, finding the best ice cream in a new city, and connecting with others. She hopes that this fellowship will enable her to uplift women around the world to promote positive environmental and public health reforms.