10: From Undergraduate to PhD in Food and Nutrition to US Military with Dr. Ashley Carter, MS, PhD

Interview with Dr. Ashley Carter, MS, PhD

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Highlights from this episode:

1. What using public health in the military can look like
2. Pursuing a PhD in Nutrition and Food Science
3. Leveraging opportunities to expand her mindset on her career possibilities

Episode 10 of Public Health Careers

Ashley Carter, PhD, talks about her journey through public health into the US military. Ashley was a Young Research Scholar when she did her undergraduate in Science in Agriculture, Food Science from the University of Georgia. The Young Research Scholars program really helped advance Ashley’s mindset to push her to pursue and want more for herself. This program which is for high school juniors and seniors is one which aims to better prepare students for college, research, and the possibility for study abroad opportunities.

Ashley then completed a Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition at University of Alabama at Birmingham before she went on to do her PhD in Nutrition and Food Science at Florida State University. She explains why she decided to not do everything too fast and pursue a Masters before her PhD . Ashley shares some tips on how she was able to systematically go about getting her dissertation research. She also shares the importance of knowing your why and how this can really help drive your work and help you find meaning in it.

The thread throughout Ashley’s public health journey is that she has always wanted to give back. She now works in the military as a Second Lieutenant at the Army National Guard in Georgia with aspirations of using more of her PhD and public health skills to better address issues within the US military.