Third year biology major Hugh Lyford has a busy summer ahead of him. While many of his classmates will be enjoying some time off, Hugh will be taking charter flights to several far-flung villages in rural Alaska to asses the state’s telemedicine system. “I grew up in Alaska and have experienced the disparities between the Eskimo population and the rest of the Alaska population on a daily basis.”
Lyford plans to become a doctor and work outside of the United States with underserved populations. “I see this trip as an opportunity to learn more about what it means to work outside of the US with disadvantaged citizens.” UVa’s Center for Global Health is helping make that dream a reality.
Lyford is a member of the 2008 class of Center for Global Health (CGH) Scholars.
This year’s pool of applicants drew students from nearly every school across Grounds. It includes students from such disciplines as nursing, bioethics, religious studies, studies in women and gender, foreign affairs, medicine, and anthropology.
Applications were submitted by both individual students and groups of students working together, with 33 scholars chosen for scholarhips. For individual projects, each of the awardees will receive up to $3000 and most of the UVa faculty mentors supporting each project will each receive $500. Each group project was awarded $3000, which can be used as leverage in continued fundraising efforts. These projects will take students to places such as rural Alaska, China, Ethiopia and India.
The review panel had a difficult time choosing this year’s Center for Global Health (CGH) scholars. “This year we had a real problem with our applications, a terrific problem-there were too many excellent proposals” says Assistant Professor of Medicine, Rebecca Dillingham. “It was truly inspiring to see the innovative ways our students and faculty worked together to develop projects that explore global health challenges. I only wish we had the resources to fund all of the qualified applicants.”
Six of the scholar awards were given jointly with the Center for Undergraduate Excellence (CUE). In a new endeavor, the Center also partnered with the Office of African American Affairs (OAAA) to create two additional scholar awards. OAAA Dean Maurice Apprey is pleased about this new pairing. “We are delighted that our Office of African American Affairs is collaborating with the Center for Global Health to co-sponsor two new CGH-OAAA Scholar Awards this year, as this provides unique opportunities and stellar role models for our students and collaborators.”
In addition, the Pfizer Initiative in International Health (PIIH), which is directed by Michael Scheld, MD, the Bayer-Gerald L. Mandell Professor of Infectious Diseases, has announced its awards for this year. PIIH has awarded funds for two fellowships, one in South Africa and the other in Uganda. It has also joined with CGH in supporting five individual projects as well as a group enterprise.
The major purpose of PIIH is to foster and enhance bidirectional research training for treating infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The Pfizer Initiative also builds on the research and administrative infrastructure of the Center for Global Health.
The Center for Global Health began making the CGH Scholar Awards available in 2001 to further its goal of engaging UVa faculty, students, and international partners in efforts to address health disparities.
2008 Center for Global Health – University Scholars
1) Evelyn Hall , CLAS, Human Biology Major and Bioethics Minor, 3rd Year, South Africa; Learning from Sexual Assault Outreach Programs in Rural South Africa
2) Maria-Cecilia Venzon , School of Nursing, PhD, 1st year, Philippines; The use of forum theater in promoting safe sex practices helping decrease HIV-AIDS incidences among low-income Filipino women who experience of violence.
3) Jennifer McNally Schwenk , CLAS, B.S. Biology, Global Public Health Minor, 3rd year, India; Assessing Barriers to Free Sight-Restoring Surgeries for Patients in Chennai, India
4) Julia Minak , UVa School Of Medicine, 1st year, Guatemala; Understanding and Improving Clay Water Filter Use in San Mateo Ixtatan, Guatemala
5) Christina Wilson , UVa School Of Medicine, 1st year, Tanzania; Implementation of a Luminex-based approach for the detection of enteropathogens in Tanzania
6) Katrina Tsang , Family Medicine Resident, University of Virginia Health System, South Africa; To develop new collaborations with medically related services in South Africa for UVa staff who would then provide hospital, out-patient and community health care
7) So Jin Youn , Economics and Biology (not yet declared) Double Major, 3rd year, Bangladesh; An effective way to detect the causes of diarrhea
8) Meredyth Gilmore , CLAS, Economics and Foreign Affairs Double Major, 2cd year, Camaroon; Determining Financial Management Indicators of Water Project Sustainability in Wum, Cameroon
9) Willis “Hugh” Lyford , CLAS, Biology Major, 3rd year, USA (Alaska); The Effects and Opportunities of the Telehealth Program on Rural Native Alaska
10) Ana Jemac , SEAS, Chemical Engineering Major, 3rd year, South Africa; Implementing a hybridized off-grid water purification system in Limpopo Province, South Africa
2008 Center for Global Health Group Awards Each of these groups received a single award toward their project
1. The Lesotho Health Partnership (LHP) – To promote the health and well-being of people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in Lesotho, a country in southern Africa where one-in-three individuals is infected with HIV, by training and building capacity among local community caregivers and by working with AIDS support groups to develop sustainable health projects:
Anne Fishwick, Nursing, Graduate CNL, 1st year Carolyne Muhenge , Clinical Nurse Leader, 1st year Marian (Mali) Royer , UVa School Of Medicine, 1st year Meghan Sheely , School of Nursing, Master’s in Nursing, CNL program, 1st year Thomas Quattlebaum , UVa School Of Medicine, 1st year
2. South Africa – The Investigation of Iron Deficiency Anemia in the Limpopo Province of South Africa through Nutritional Analysis and the Development of Community-Based Education Programs for Prevention and Treatment
Hassan Hamandi, UVa School Of Medicine 1st year Jessica Scriver, UVa School Of Medicine 1st year Matthew Kohler, UVa School Of Medicine 1st year Benjamin Milam, UVa School Of Medicine, 1st year
3. South Africa Health Partnership: Assessing and Implementing Arts-Focused Health Messages in Partnership with RADAR (Rural AIDS Development and Action Research)
Sherrry Kausch , School of Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader, 1st year masters student Mary Hove , University of Virginia, 2009 Clinical Nurse Leader graduate program, 1st year Lindsey Powell ; School of Nursing, Doctorate in Nursing Practice, 2009 Elizabeth Palmer , School of Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader, 2009 Tim Cunningham , Graduate School of Nursing CNL, 1st year Tarleen Singh , UVa School Of Medicine, 1st year
2008 Center for Global Health – Harrison Research Award Scholars
1. Michelle Wang , CLAS, Cognitive Science Major, 2nd year, China; HIV/AIDS Counseling in China: A Human Cognitive Approach 2. Julia Interrante , CLAS, Foreign Affairs and Studies in Women and Gender Double Major, 3rd year, South Africa; Limitations of Women’s Access to HIV Treatment in Limpopo Province, South Africa 3. Eric Harshfield , SEAS, Chemical Engineering, 3rd year, South Africa; Implementing a Hybridized Off-Grid Water Purification System in the Limpopo Province, South Africa 4. Amber McCrady , CLAS, Psychology and Religious Studies Double Major, 3rd year, Thailand; Treating the Invisible: Access to Mental Healthcare for Sexually-Trafficked Ethnic Minority Women and Children in Thailand 5. Erin Conroy , CLAS, Anthropology and Studies in Women and Gender Double Major, 3rd year, Thailand; The Effect of Microfinance on the Economic Status of Northern Women in Thailand: A Comparative Analysis of Two Positive Partnership Programs 6. Sara Sunisa Pasang Lehman , CLAS, Foreign Affairs Major, Global Public Health Minor, 3rd year, Thailand; Stopping Traffic: Assessing Reproductive Health Risks for Burmese Ethnic Minority Women Trafficked into the Thai Commercial Sex Trade
2008 Center for Global Health – Office of African American Affairs Scholars 1. Teemar Fisseha , CLAS, Foreign Affairs and French Double Major, 3rd year, Ethiopia; Sexual Violence in Ethiopia and its Assessment by Different Segments of Society (Lawyers, Doctors/Psychologists, Victims) 2. Theodora Biney-Amissah , CLAS, Anthropology, 3rd year, Ghana; Striving to Cure the Curable: A Study of Malaria Education Methods in Ghana
