McDonald, Yolanda
Yolanda McDonald
Dr. Yolanda McDonald is an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University. Her research is rooted in geography, sociology, public health, public policy, and data science. Dr. McDonald’s work centers on the intricate relationships between structural social determinants of health, environmental health, health disparities, and health inequities. She uses an environmental justice framework and health outcomes approach to investigate how structural factors influence uneven environmental exposure to regulated pollutants. She primarily focuses on understanding inequities in drinking water access and quality in the United States. Her work produces evidence-based studies to inform policies and advocate for sustainable practices to address the critical issue of insufficient access to safe water. In addition to her research, Dr. McDonald is dedicated to mentoring students, emphasizing the importance of applied research in addressing pressing societal challenges.
“We don’t have to be just one thing in our life.” - Dr. Yolanda McDonald, 2023
Caballero, M. D., Gunda, T., & McDonald, Y. J. 2023. Energy justice & coastal communities: The case for Meaningful Marine Renewable Energy Development. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 184, 113491.
McDonald, Y. J., Anderson, K. M., Caballero, M. D., Ding, K. J., Fisher, D. H., Morkel, C. P., & Hill, E. L. 2022. A systematic review of geospatial representation of United States community water systems. AWWA Water Science, 4(1), e1266.
Paxton, C. M., Anderson, K. M., & McDonald, Y. J. 2022. The water sector industry workforce: A quantitative case study, Tennessee, USA. Utilities Policy, 76, 101356.
McDonald, Y. J., & Jones, N. E. 2018. Drinking water violations and environmental justice in the United States, 2011–2015. American Journal of Public Health, 108(10), 1401-1407.
Grineski, S. E., Collins, T. W., Chakraborty, J., & McDonald, Y. J. 2013. Environmental health injustice: Exposure to air toxics and children’s respiratory hospital admissions in El Paso, Texas. The Professional Geographer, 65(1), 31-46.
Dr. Yolanda McDonald was born in 1968. Her father had a Metallurgical Engineering degree and worked in the oil industry, which helped Dr. McDonald develop an early awareness of the environmental and societal impacts of the oil industry. Her formative years were characterized by global mobility, with residences in Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, and St. Croix.
Living in these diverse locations exposed her to the firsthand effects of neoliberalism on daily life. The influence of major oil corporations, including Exxon and BP, became evident in the stark disparities in power, class distinctions, and environmental degradation, all at the cost of development. Her lived experience formed the backdrop for her academic pursuits.
Dr. McDonald’s educational journey demonstrates dedication and achievement. She attended an International High School, which followed the British General Certificate of Education system and graduated in a class of only 22 students. She moved to the United States for college, where she encountered challenges fitting in, prompting her to move to a predominantly Hispanic-serving institution, where she grappled with a sense of belonging. Dr. McDonald began her undergraduate studies in 1986 at The University of Texas at El Paso. However, it took her almost 20 years to complete her degree.
Upon returning to university to finally complete her Bachelor of Arts college, Dr. McDonald enrolled in an environmental sociology, where each chapter resonated with her experiences in the countries she had called home. She reflected on the uneasiness she felt when she relocated to the United States in her late teens to attend university. She observed distinctions in poverty dynamics compared to her earlier surroundings. This motivated her to delve into the study of poverty and economic issues, focusing particularly on the U.S. system.
During a 20-year career in the newspaper industry, she gained valuable insights before deciding to return to academia.
Her pursuit of higher education led her to the University of Texas at El Paso again, where she earned her bachelor’s in multidisciplinary studies and master’s degrees in sociology, establishing a solid foundation for her academic endeavors. Driven by a commitment to scholarly advancement, she obtained a doctoral degree in geography from Texas A&M University. Her dissertation, titled “An Intersectionality Approach to Assessing the Landscape Across the Cervical Cancer Continuum of Cancer: Geographic and Sociodemographic Inequalities in New Mexico,” reflects her dedication to addressing complex issues through interdisciplinary research.
Dr. McDonald began her career in media. From 1998 to 2004, she was the Circulation Director for The Centre Daily Times. In this position, she played significant roles in Penn State’s Student Newspaper Readership Program and in launching the newspaper’s website operation. In 2004, she moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to be the Customer Relationship Manager for The Arizona Republic. In her early newspaper career, she had an illuminating moment during a leadership training conference in Tennessee. While talking with fellow participants about reimagining their career paths, Dr. McDonald crystallized her desire to transition into academia, aspiring to become a college professor. After almost two decades of corporate experience, Dr. McDonald returned to school to complete her degrees and become a professor.
Motivated by this newfound calling, she started taking courses, determined to complete her undergraduate studies. She graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Multidisciplinary Studies. Dr. McDonald remained at the University of Texas at El Paso for her master’s degree, discovering her passion for research. In 2010, she began her master’s degree and started a research assistant position in the Sociology and Anthropology department. During this period, she discovered a profound affinity for sociology and geography. The American Association of Geographers Conference became a significant touchstone for her, providing a sense of belonging and inspiration. Driven by a growing passion, she actively sought mentors and diligently prepared herself to realize her dream of becoming a professor. She completed her Master of Arts in Sociology in 2012 and enrolled at Texas A&M a few months later to begin her doctorate.
Dr. McDonald earned her Ph.D. in Geography in 2017. She was immediately hired at Vanderbilt University as an Assistant Professor in the interdisciplinary Human and Organizational Development Department. Becoming a professor was a significant career milestone and marked the culmination of her transition from a corporate career to a fulfilling and impactful role in academia. Dr. McDonald stresses that “there are many paths in life. You need to do what you find is the most fulfilling” (2023).
Dr. McDonald’s academic practice focuses on interdisciplinary research, drawing insights from geography, sociology, public health, public policy, and data science. Her research endeavors focus on the complex interplay between structural social determinants of health, the built environment, and health disparities.
Dr. McDonald is the lead investigator for the Vanderbilt University Drinking Water Justice Lab. Her research in drinking water encompasses two lines of inquiry. The first seeks to characterize the landscape of public drinking water in the United States, while the second delves into the associations between exposure to non-microorganism sources, such as arsenic, in contaminated water and the prevalence of chronic illnesses.
Several key individuals played instrumental roles in Dr. McDonald’s development and significantly shaped her academic and professional journey. Notably, Dr. Josiah Heyman from the sociology and anthropology department at the University of Texas at El Paso provided pivotal support during her master’s degree. He offered valuable guidance and a teaching assistantship position at the university, setting the stage for her entry into academia.
During her master’s studies, Dr. McDonald benefitted immensely from the expertise and mentorship of her committee members, Dr. Sarah (chair) and Dr. Timothy Collins Grineski (now professor at the University of Utah). Their teachings on environmental justice and guidance in research writing and data analysis left a lasting impression on her. Dr. McDonald acknowledges that her graduate education, under the mentorship of these individuals, equipped her with the necessary tools for academic rigor and research. She gained insights into navigating multi-university research partnerships and collaborating with government agencies. She learned the difference between multi versus interdisciplinary research from Dr. Cosette M. Wheeler and Dr. Mei-Po Kwan, mentors whose work ethic and commitment to others informs Dr. McDonald’s daily actions.
In addition to faculty mentors, Dr. McDonald found support from peer mentors. Jim VanDerslice, with whom she engaged in extensive email and phone conversations about water injustice in the U.S., generously extended his mentorship to her advisees as a discussant at the American Association of Geography Annual Conference. Dr. Joseph Oppong, a medical geographer whom she met at a conference, has been a steadfast friend and mentor for over a decade. Lastly, her graduate school friend Swetha Peteru became her partner in their respective Ph.D. training. Together, they led the establishment of a Supporting Women in Geography chapter at Texas A&M University to mutually support each other in navigating their career paths.
Beyond her research, Dr. McDonald is deeply committed to mentoring students and providing them with valuable experiential learning opportunities. Her dedication to nurturing the next generation of scholars underscores the importance of applied research in addressing critical societal issues. Inspired by the mentorship she received, Dr. McDonald has embraced her role as a mentor to others. She values engaging in meaningful conversations with students, encouraging them to prepare for conferences by familiarizing themselves with the work of individuals they wish to connect with, and practicing the art of comfortable and informed conversations. Dr. McDonald also ensures she understands the different commitments of the students she works with. She believes in paying forward the support and guidance she received, fostering a culture of mentorship within academic and professional circles.
Dr. McDonald imparts valuable advice to individuals of color, acknowledging the additional effort often required in their academic and professional pursuits. Drawing on a body of literature addressing this reality, she emphasizes the need to recognize and navigate the challenges unique to being a person of color or part of the LGBTIQA+ community.
Dr. McDonald understands that the path may not always be straightforward and encourages individuals to be resilient and to excel in their endeavors. She recognizes that despite the strides made by faculty of color and the LGBTIQA+ community, the academic environment may not always seem welcoming or supportive of their scholarship. In response, she advocates for individuals to be the best in their fields and not be disheartened by assumptions that their achievements are solely attributed to their identity.
Dr. McDonald advises scholars of color to take pride in their accomplishments, even when others may not fully comprehend the challenges they have overcome. She celebrates being a Ford Fellow as she knows that the selection process is extremely competitive because applicants are top-achieving individuals who must work harder for their place in academia. Dr. McDonald advocates owning one’s achievements and pushing back against unjust expectations. Navigating academia’s political landscape is difficult without dealing with disproportionately heavy workloads.
Regarding microaggressions, Dr. McDonald suggests focusing on personal growth and professional excellence rather than dwelling on psychoanalyzing such encounters – acknowledge it, cry or scream, and then do not waste any more energy – you are not imagining it. She encourages individuals to proactively position themselves so they will not need to deal with microaggressions. She emphasizes the importance of leading with compassion, critical thinking, and kindness, even in the face of offensive language from well-intentioned individuals.
For students of color considering academic career paths, Dr. McDonald underscores the significance of passion and curiosity. She advises building a robust support network and remaining true to one’s cultural, religious, gender, and sexual identity. Transparency about family commitments is essential, and she encourages individuals to let their unique qualities shine through. Dr. McDonald says it is important to allow time for emotional expression and emphasizes the resilience inherent in people of color and the LGBTIQA+. She urges them to draw inspiration from their unique ability to move forward and contribute meaningfully to positive change.
Yolanda McDonald. n.d. Home [LinkedIn Page]. LinkedIn. Retrieved November 3, 2023 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/yjmcdonald/
Survey and interviews conducted by Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Sustainability Initiative staff. 2022-2023. Yale University-School of the Environment. New Haven, Connecticut.
Vanderbilt University. 2023. Yolanda McDonald. https://lab.vanderbilt.edu/dwjlab/person/yolanda-j-mcdonald/