Meet the 2023-24 DGH Research Assistants, Fellows, and Awardees

Each year the UW Department of Global Health is able to provide partial to full funding to recruit top applicants. In addition to financial support, some recipients also receive mentorship and real-world experience through research assistant positions. For the 2023-24 academic year, 22 outstanding graduate students received funding to support their studies, 21 of whom are highlighted here. Learn more about this impressive cohort, including their journeys to arrive at UW and the impact they hope to have on the field of global health.

Ramya Kumar on public health as a tool for social justice

UW School of Public Health

Like many students, Ph.D. candidate Ramya Kumar was drawn to the University of Washington School of Public Health’s (UW SPH) Department of Epidemiology for its reputation in HIV and mental health research and impact. However, Kumar found that what distinguished UW SPH from other schools was the culture: the desire students had to build an inclusive community of changemakers.  

Welcome DGH's New PhD in Global Health Metrics and Implementation Science Students

The Department of Global Health is thrilled to welcome eight new PhD in Global Health Metrics and Implementation Science students to our community this fall. This newest cohort is truly global with the new students representing seven different countries: Cameroon, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the United States.

Student Blog: My Graduate Discovery Fellowship at the CDC

Jay Vornhagen is 2017 graduate of the Pathobiology PhD program at the University of Washington Department of Global Health. He is currently completing a postdoc with Lakshmi Rajagopal at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. During his tenure at UW he published more than any other student since the Pathobiology program began in 1990. Jay received a Graduate Discovery Fellowship to work at the Centers for Disease Control from January-March, 2017 with Mary Kamb, Associate Director for Global Activities in the Division of STD Prevention.