Charlotte Powley

Charlotte Powley (she/her) launched her career as an educator in New York City soon after receiving her BA from Barnard College, Columbia University. She taught algebra to high school students at a New York City public high school while completing a master’s in education from Hunter College. Her dedication to learning more about students’ overall health and well-being led her to pursue a master’s in public health from Tufts University School of Medicine, where she completed her degree with a specialty in biostatistics and epidemiology.

Charlotte completed her doctorate in social policy at The Heller School at Brandeis University in 2020. Charlotte’s doctoral work focused on menstrual management and students’ experiences of menstruation in U.S. public schools. Charlotte worked as an assistant teaching professor and program director at Simmons University in their Public Health Department. She currently works at Brandeis University as an assistant director of research for the Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation (ENACT). Charlotte has also worked for Boston Public Schools in their Office of Health and Wellness, supporting their sexual health services team. She has also served as an adjunct professor at other universities including Tufts University School of Medicine, UMass Boston, and in Tuft's Department of Occupational Therapy.

I am thrilled and honored to be working with the menstruation to menopause group at OBOS Today. I began my career as a New York City public high school teacher and that really inspired my interest and commitment to ensuring that students have what they need to be successful and this includes access to menstrual products. Access to these basic needs is about everything from student belonging and well being, gender equity, equal access to education, etc. Lack of access is ultimately a public health concern that has been overlooked for far too long but we can see the tides changing and part of that shift is the work being done by OBOS Today.