Cindy Xie

What’ve you enjoyed most about your area of study? Was there a particular discovery, new skill or way of thinking, or insight that you found especially valuable? Please share an example from your favorite class or experience.

For me, studying anthropology has provided a way to learn about varied social theories as well as methodologies of critical thinking and reflection. My interest in medical anthropology was sparked by a desire to tackle the intersections of social and biological influences on health and wellbeing. One memorable class I took at MIT was 21A.312 Planetary Change and Human Health, with Professor Amy Moran-Thomas. This seminar class gave a more nuanced understanding of the interconnections between human health and global environmental change that opened the door for much of my subsequent work in the field of Planetary Health on and off campus.

How does the knowledge from this field, or your interest in it, combine with your other major or minor studies at MIT?

My majors and minors at MIT converge around different ways of understanding health and the social and environmental factors influencing it. My training in anthropology has been a guiding component of my work in urban planning—especially with my undergraduate thesis, which is centered around ethnographic approaches to looking at health, environment, and justice. The combination of anthropology and urban planning enables the blending of theory with practice.

An MIT education includes study in the scientific, technical, social science, arts, and humanities fields. How do you think that wide range of knowledge and perspectives will be valuable to you – for your career success and for your enjoyment of life?

Being able to translate and converse across scientific and humanistic disciplines has been an incredible valuable skill that is critical to an interdisciplinary field like public health. The reading, writing, and communication skills I gained through my SHASS education have also been invaluable in policy-focused work.

What are your plans for the future?

I will be staying at MIT for one more year to finish my Master’s in City Planning degree. After that, I hope to pursue a career as a social scientist working on applied health issues. I am interested in how creative approaches such as dialogue, narrative, and storytelling can guide this work.