Meet Gwen Powell, an MPH student and chaplain supporting first responders at Allina Health. Her work focuses on how to support individuals dealing with moral trauma caused by a conflict between a person's actions and their values.

Where did you grow up? Where did you attend undergrad and what was your degree/area of study?

“I grew up in Kansas City, rotating between Kansas and Missouri. I lived in poor neighborhoods, but saw how my privileged, educated parents were able to move out of them. A lot of people I grew up with didn’t have those opportunities, and I think that instilled a passion for social justice  in me from a young age.”

What was that moment in your life when you decided you wanted to study public health?

“I’m an ordained Episcopal priest and work as a chaplain supporting first responders at Allina Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Being a first responder is very difficult; there are high rates of stress, trauma, burn out, depression, substance use, and suicide among these professionals. Working with first responders was my entry point into public health because I realized that this is a much bigger problem than what was happening at Allina.”

What specific issue, problem, or area of research in public health do you care the most about and why? 

“I am particularly interested in moral trauma. Moral trauma exists on a spectrum and is a form of cognitive dissonance, where a person’s values conflict with actions they’re taking. These actions could range from a practitioner making a medical mistake to a person in the military accidentally harming a bystander. My work focuses on how we can protect and support individuals who end up in morally injurious situations.”

Why did you choose to come to the U of M School of Public Health? 

“It has the best public health program around here. I looked at a few different schools, and SPH seemed to have more opportunities than others. And surprisingly, for such a big school, the faculty seemed to be really involved. I took a class taught by Bruce Alexander, and after telling him what I do for work, he got me involved in this project that sought to make recommendations to the Department of Labor and Industry on how to revise their PTSD claim systems for workman’s comp to better serve first responders. And I was floored by the opportunity and the people I got to work with. It is such a welcoming research environment.”

What do you like to do when you’re not in class? 

“I have three kids who are nine, six, and four years old. We like to swim and go for walks. I’m also a plant lady, and moved all my indoor plants outside for the summer so they could get their chlorophyll on. Occasionally I bake, which has been my secret for getting to know first responders. They are often on a truck for hours at a time, so when they return to base and smell cookies, it is a great way to talk to them.”

What do you like about living in Minnesota?

“I like how progressive and community-oriented it is. There are definitely structural inequities in the state, but I think that we are making progress and have built a strong infrastructure to challenge them. There are a lot of people here that give me hope, like those working on our new Vaccine Integrity Project. I also like the Minnesota summers!”