Environmental Health
Erin Polka is a Ph.D. student in the Environmental Health department, interested in researching the health and ecological impacts of the oil and gas industry. She received her bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado in 2008, and completed her Master’s in Public Health from Boston University in 2020. Her research involves studying the impact of current and transitioning energy systems on population health. In her spare time she enjoys getting outside, biking, and hiking for a view.
Publications:
J Clark, C., C Bond, J., A Vrkljan, K. Rowse, M. Polka, E. J. Campbell, E. K. Wesselink, A. Aker, A. D. Willis, M. Oil and Gas Development and Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Qualitative and Quantitative Bias Analysis of the Epidemiologic Literature. Curr Envir Health Rpt 13, 10 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-026-00526-w
Milando CW, Polka E, Grady ST, Brand C, Mueller SC, Handricken K, Babbs G, Canate T, Sinha A, Friedman A,
Senier L, Heiger-Bernays W, Schlezinger JJ, Fabian MP and Scammell MK (2026) Communication recovery in the classroom: a mixed-methods evaluation of a pilot program. Front. Educ. 11:1717954. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2026.1717954
Huy Tran, Erin Polka, Jonathan Buonocore, et al. A Refined Satellite-based Emissions Estimate from Onshore Oil and Gas Flaring and Venting Activities in the United States and their Impacts on Air Quality and Health. GeoHealth 8(3). March 6, 2024. DOI: 10.1029/2023GH000938
Tomsho, K.S., Polka, E., Chacker, S., David Queeley, Marty Alvarez, Madeleine K. Scammell, Karen M. Emmons, Rima E. Rudd & Gary Adamkiewicz. 2022. A process for creating data report-back tools to improve equity in environmental health. Environ Health 21, 67. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-022-00880-w
5. Tomsho KS, Polka E, Chacker S, Queeley D, Alvarez M, Scammell MK, Emmons KM, Rudd RE, Adamkiewicz G. 2022.
Characterizing the Environmental Health Literacy and Sensemaking of Indoor Air Quality of Research Participants. Int J Environ Res Public Health. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19042227. PMID: 35206415; PMCID: PMC8871841.
Erin Polka, Ellen Childs, Alexa Friedman, Kathryn S. Tomsho, Birgit Claus Henn, Madeleine K. Scammell, and Chad W. Milando. 2021. “MCR: Open-Source Software to Automate Compilation of Health Study Report-Back.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 6104, Pp. 1-12.
Claire Schollaert, Robert C. Ackley, Andy DeSantis, Erin Polka, Madeleine K. Scammell. 2020. “Natural gas leaks and tree death: A first-look case-control study of urban trees in Chelsea, MA USA.” Environmental Pollution, Volume 263, Part A, 2020, 114464, ISSN 0269-7491