Q&A with Gracie Hornsby

Gracie Hornsby joined Stanford in 2020 after earning a B.S. in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University. She recently finished her second year in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Stanford, where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering under the supervision of Professor of Civil Engineering and WHD Director Jenna Davis. Gracie spoke to us from Sitapur, India, where she is conducting field work related to WASH UP!, a WHD research program directed by Davis.

Can you tell me about your background?

As an undergraduate, I worked on water, sanitation, and hygiene, similar to what I'm working on now with Jenna. I focused on a couple of areas. The first was measuring antibiotic resistance in the environment, specifically in low- and middle-income countries. Second, I did fieldwork in Uganda around poultry corralling. I looked at fecal indicators in the homes of people who corral poultry. I've always been interested in children, behavior change, and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene). I think there's a lot more to learn about children’s roles in their families and schools and their potential for leadership in behavior change.

Why did you choose Stanford for your graduate studies?

As an undergrad, I worked under Angela Harris, who did her Ph.D. work with Jenna Davis. I've joked that I'm Jenna's grand-advisee. I respect Jenna’s work, and I appreciate her philosophies around working in the WASH space. I trusted the training I would get under her, so I was excited to come to Stanford.
Also, I'm part of Stanford’s Knight-Hennessy Scholars fellowship program. The opportunity to be in a collaborative environment with people working across disciplines was exciting. I was in a similar program at NC State. I knew that having a close-knit community would enhance my graduate experience, too. You need a community to get through a Ph.D. program.

What are you working on now?

My primary research interest involves school-based water, sanitation, and hygiene programs in low- and middle-income countries. I'm currently working with partners in Sitapur, India, on a combined infrastructure-curriculum program called 'WASH UP!' The project will be the focus of my dissertation. We have an exciting partnership with World Vision, a large, nonprofit organization that works in many different countries, and Sesame Workshop, the people who produce Sesame Street. World Vision is interested in rigorously evaluating the impacts of their WASH educational program that is delivered to primary school students. Of course, students need functioning WASH infrastructure in addition to effective educational materials, since they can't control whether they have soap at their hand-washing stations, whether their handpumps are working, whether toilets are functional, safe, and clean enough to use. So we're also testing new approaches to the maintenance of school WASH facilities and working to create an 'enabling environment' that promotes behavior change. We are combining the curriculum and the infrastructure maintenance elements into a cluster-randomized, controlled trial with more than 200 primary schools participating.

What impact do you hope your research will have?

Broadly, I think that everyone has a fundamental human right to good, clean drinking water that promotes health; the materials and infrastructure they need to wash their hands; and toilet facilities that make them feel safe, promote health, and are equitable by gender. If my work adds even a drop to that bucket, I will feel like I made an impact. We can get lost in the scope of an issue of this magnitude. If we were to touch 200 of the 844 million people who lack access to clean drinking water, it would be tempting to say that number is insignificant. But if you know those 200 people, it is incredibly impactful. Those are 200 kids who might get sick less often. It means financial savings for families, and peace of mind for mothers and fathers whose children are not getting sick. These are real people. That's enough impact for me.

How has working in Jenna Davis's group changed you?

I always learn from her, especially when I come into an advising session with a problem. She’ll ask, ‘what's the question beneath that question?’ and I’ll say, ‘I don't know, but we're going to figure it out!’ Jenna is good at getting to the root of a problem or the essence of a question, and she’s also good at meticulously interrogating. She excels at analyzing problems in ways that I haven't been exposed to. I just haven't had the methodology to do that before. So I feel like I am continually adding tools to my tool belt for the types of questions I could ask in the future.

Can you share an anecdote from your research that was particularly rewarding?

Recently, we conducted interviews with key respondents at our research site in Sitapur, in an effort to diagnose why school infrastructure maintenance wasn’t happening. We talked to teachers, headmasters, cleaners, and cooks. We even spoke with local government officials. I was nervous going into some of those interviews, about what kind of impact we might have when asking teachers about problems with their water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure. I was afraid we might expose scars they didn't know existed or reveal wounds they didn't know how to heal. Instead, our presence made them hopeful. They seemed relieved that we wanted to hear their voices on this, that someone recognized they are closest to the problem and are the experts on the topic. I entered with assumptions and preconceptions — but by instead listening, being present, giving them time to speak, valuing their input, and asking follow-up questions, we found a universal human connection. I learned that people appreciate the opportunity to tell their stories and be heard. It was rewarding and motivating. Those interviews are informing our work now.

What are your plans after you leave Stanford?

I'm not trying to make plans as much anymore, since none of them turn out how I expect. I finished my second year of a five-year program. I will give myself at least the next year to focus on my research, and then I'll start thinking about what might come next.

What's something you do for fun?

I'm an environmental engineer who likes to be outside with trees. Being close to Big Sur and the redwood forests — it's such a beautiful setting. I liken the natural world around Stanford to a ‘forced work-life balance.’ During the week, I'm excited about my work. On weekends, I have hobbies that I'm excited to do. It's great motivation, and it’s transformative to value weekends as much as I value my work. I have a golden retriever-border collie mix that lives with me at Stanford. Anytime I can get her out on the trail, or find somewhere to climb, that's my favorite way to spend time.