I’m Caroline Barnes, a Master’s of Public Health Candidate at the University of Tennessee with a concentration in Health Policy & Management and a secondary concentration in Epidemiology. I am also the lead data analyst for the Safety and Environmental Compliance Department at Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB). I am a recent graduate from the University of Tennessee (Go Vols! – Class of 2022) with a BS in Neuroscience (public health minor) and a BA in Psychology (entrepreneurship minor).

I am currently interested in neurological diseases that impact vulnerable populations of children and families in Appalachia, the impact of environmental factors such as pollution equity on community health, and mental health issues related to sudden and unexpected changes in employment, social standing/groups, and failures of the healthcare system seen in diseases, equitable access to care, and telehealth. 

I love Knoxville, TN, my home area. There is something magical about this little city nestled in the valley between the Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau. I have loved the engaging conversions, interesting people, great hikes, and even better friendships I developed while at the University of Tennessee and serving my community. 

Of course, being situated in the heart of the Smoky Mountains makes Knoxville the perfect place to pursue my love of hiking, boating, photography, and being outdoors with my black lab, Smokey Bear. I have loved getting up at 4 a.m. with my best friends to drive to the Foothills Parkway and take a short hike to see the beautiful sunrise over the Smoky’s. As a part of that, I developed quite an interest in Knoxville’s various breakfast places, diners, and coffee shops!

If you ever need to find me on campus, you can always find me taking in and taking pictures of my community, a cup of tea in hand, on my way to the library study.

GO VOLS!

Current Project: Exploring opportunities, thinking of focusing on community health outcomes and interventions, mental health, environmental inequity and health outcomes

Past Projects: La Crosse Virus Encephalitis (Dr. Rebecca Trout Fryxell’s lab), MEGA:BITESS Program, Creating a Backyard Buzz (Independent Project)

Presentations and Awards:

October 2019 – 1st Place Recognition in the Tennessee Entomological Society Competition for Undergraduate Presentations.

April 2020 – EUReKA at the University of Tennessee – Had to withdraw due to COVID-19.

August 2021 – Virtual Presentation at Discovery Day

April 2022 – EUReKA at the University of Tennessee – Backyard Buzz Independent Research Presentation

May 2022 – Creating a Backyard Buzz is published on TRACE via UT Publishing

I love serving and helping the community that has helped me so much! One of my favorite organizations to work with is Remote Area Medical, which offers free health care to underserved areas and demographics in my community and across the country.

My work with RAM has opened my eyes to the importance of healthcare access and education in all communities. This work has given me a practical view of the topics I have learned about in my Public Health courses at the University of Tennessee.