Introducing the 2024-2025 Global Health Student Fellows Cohort
The Georgetown University Global Health Institute is excited to announce the 2024-2025 cohort of the Global Health Student Fellows Program, marking our largest group to date. The fellowship provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in global health research, gain hands-on experience, and collaborate with leading faculty and practitioners in the field.
Tackling Critical Global Health Challenges
The Global Health Student Fellows Program, first launched in 2017, is committed to equipping Georgetown graduates with the skills and networks to tackle complex real-world global health problems in a rapidly changing environment. Students in the program pursue year-long research alongside dedicated faculty from different disciplines to enhance interdisciplinary learning. All Georgetown students, regardless of their school or major, are eligible to apply. To date, students from every single undergraduate and graduate school have participated, with particularly high representation from programs in foreign service, medicine, health, and law.
In response to growing interest and the evolving needs of the program, we have increased this year’s number of fellows and extended the timeline from semester-long to year-long to provide fellows with more time for in-depth research, fostering stronger connections with their peers and mentors throughout the experience. This year’s cohort includes 28 students selected from a competitive pool of 90 applicants. These students represent five different schools and eight programs, including international students from countries ranging from Nigeria to Argentina and the Palestinian Territories, each deeply committed to tackling some of the most critical challenges in global health.
Our fellows are involved in a diverse range of projects, such as medical student George O’Hara’s work with Professor Sam Halabi at the Center for Transformational Health Law, focusing on expanding universal health coverage in Africa, developing a pathogen genomic data-sharing network, and supporting countries’ plan for vaccine rollouts. Another project includes the School of Foreign Service undergraduate Cristina Toro’s research with Professor Sandeep Dahiya from the McDonough School of Business, which investigates the factors influencing biotech venture success.
Building Connections
This year’s fellows program began with an In Your Shoes experience hosted by the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics. Students came together for an evening employing techniques rooted in theatrical performance to promote deep listening and empathy, incorporating their diverse backgrounds and different disciplines of study into a mutually respectful creative exchange. They engaged in facilitated group activities and pair conversations in which they curated and performed one another’s exact words.
Many were struck by how this experience opened the door to deeper connections with people they had just met. They remarked on how it was a rare chance to step outside the usual academic routine and speak in ways their daily lives often do not allow.
Supporting the Next Generation of Global Health Leaders
This expanded program has been made possible by generous gifts from Georgetown parents and alumni, whose support has been instrumental in growing our capacity to foster the next generation of global health leaders. If you are interested in supporting these passionate and talented students, your contribution will help provide the resources and mentorship they need to make a difference through their research and fieldwork.
We look forward to the exciting work our fellows will accomplish this year and the lasting impact this will have on both global health and their own future careers.