
The Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW) at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs has selected six students as Class of 2021 Health Scholars. All of them will receive financial support for travel and research to pursue internships and senior thesis research that relate to domestic and international health care and health policy.
A small group of juniors is selected for the program annually through a rigorous application process focusing on both academic performance and plans for work and research on health policy issues.
“These students represent Princeton University’s best and brightest scholars in the field of global health,” states Gilbert Collins, Director of Global Health Programs.
Scholars are supported for two years, engaging in fully funded health-related internships or independent research during the summer following junior year and then writing senior theses with a health policy dimension. They may also participate in health policy seminars and lectures, broadening their understanding of global health challenges while interacting with distinguished speakers and visitors.
The Health Scholars initiative is part of the CHW’s Global Health Program, which offers the opportunity for undergraduates to earn a certificate in Global Health and Health Policy while exploring the world’s most pressing health issues through academic study, innovative research and experiential learning.
Meet the Class of 2021 Health Scholars:
- Obiageri Amaechi ’21, a Psychology concentrator pursuing a GHP certificate, plans to research cultural competency in healthcare settings, evaluating its effectiveness, limitations and implications.
- Mary DeVellis ’21, an Anthropology concentrator pursuing certificates in GHP and Gender and Sexuality Studies, plans to explore women’s experiences of breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Doruntina Fida ’21, an Anthropology concentrator pursuing a GHP certificate, plans to study manifestations of health and health outcomes for those who have suffered trauma from periods of conflict and political/physical modes of violence, particularly victims of the Kosovar war.
- Katherine Leggat-Barr ’21, a Woodrow Wilson School concentrator pursuing a GHP certificate, plans to examine the effectiveness and availability of mental health care for recently arrived refugees and asylum seekers in Portland, Maine.
- Angelika Morris ’21, a Medical Anthropology concentrator pursuing a GHP certificate, plans to investigate how gun violence manifests within the body and the ways in which people are resilient. She hopes to create a photo essay book capturing the experiences of those who reside in Chicago’s most violent neighborhoods.
- Jonathan Wang ’21, a Molecular Biology concentrator pursuing certificates in GHP, Applications of Computing, and Engineering Biology, plans to research the health-related consequences of the risk environment faced by individuals with substance abuse disorder. He seeks to explore how incarceration, housing insecurity and other intersecting factors impact physical and mental health outcomes.
The Center for Health and Wellbeing is an interdisciplinary center within the Woodrow Wilson School, which seeks to foster research and teaching on the multiple aspects of health and wellbeing in both developed and developing countries.