Emory MDP was well represented at the 2024 Annual Conference of the U.S. chapter of the Society for International Development held in Washington DC on April 26, 2024. Established in 1957, SID serves as a nexus for professionals across NGOs, academia, government, private sector, and consulting firms focused on global development. The conference' theme was "World in Crisis: Sparks of Hope" and aimed to highlight opportunities to advance development by strengthening resilience and security. In attendance, pictured right to left, were 2nd year MDP students Wabei Saboi (Zambia), Rebecca Yeboah (Ghana), Cassange Bitere (Haiti), Anne Jean Baptiste (USA), Chisomo Mwale (Zambia), and  Amanda Charaka (USA). These students, who will graduate in August after completing their second summer practicum, appreciated the opportunity to network with and to listen to speakers from USAID and other development agencies. Sessions featured a wide range of innovations bridging across sectors, such as women-led initiatives in environmentally sustainable business ventures and the role of artificial intelligence in addressing climate-related health challenges. We wish a bright future to these stellar students!

MDP Assistant Director Chan Williams (first from left in photo) attended the Annual Meeting of The Research University Civic Engagement Network (TRUCEN) hosted by the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the Campus Compact National Conference in Denver, CO earlier this month. Chan was part of a team presenting on best practices for compensating local partners, based on a survey of 124 faculty and staff in 15 universities. The year-long study was conducted by a working group composed of university administrators, including Chan who represents MDP on the Emory Community and Civic Engagement Collaborative. A resource toolkit is now being developed by the team: it will be posted on the Campus Compact website and presented at next year’s conference in Atlanta, GA. As a result of Chan’s involvement in this initiative, Emory MDP was approved through Campus Compact to be a university hosting site for AmeriCorps volunteers. Thank you, Chan, for your commitment to equitable community engagement!

For the third consecutive year, the Outstanding Master’s Student Award has been granted to a MDP student: Anne Jean Baptiste (MDP 2024), pictured here with LGS Dean Kimberly Jacobs Arriola. Introduced in 2022, the award recognizes exceptional achievement and contributions by a master’s student. At Emory, Anne excelled in the classroom as well as in highly competitive internships, contributing to partnership development at CARE USA and to knowledge management with PEPFAR, a global HIV/AIDS response initiative. In this role, Anne helped develop and manage a data sharing platform connecting USAID headquarters and country teams across eleven countries. She likewise participated in a PEPFAR site visit to Lesotho to assess youth engagement activities. Anne’s life experiences ignited her passion for healthy equity, leading her to major in public health at the University of Miami, where she won a prestigious scholarship for students committed to building a healthier world. After graduating from UM, Anne worked with the Department of Adolescent Medicine, facilitating youth access to HIV/STD testing and services and with the AIDS Institute advising public health officials on youth outreach strategies. Read more here.

Congratulations to Wabei Saboi (MDP 2024) who won an Ellen Bailey Achievement Award at the Student Founders Showcase, the culminating event of the Hatchery Incubator, an eight-month entrepreneurship skill building program offered by the Emory Center for Innovation. During the event, Incubator participants had an opportunity to practice their pitch skills and receive feedback from members of the Atlanta business and non-profit communities and Emory faculty and staff. Each of the three winners received a monetary prize of $2,500, thanks to a donation by Mrs. Ellen Bailey, an emeritus member of Emory’s Board of Trustees and a trailblazer in women entrepreneurship. Wabei (second from left, next to Mrs. Bailey) presented her work as co-founder and director of Blesser Breakers, an organization that seeks to provide schoolgirls in Zambia with the skills and confidence to avoid predatory sexual relationships. Wabei plans to use the prize and skills obtained through the Incubator to equip girls with digital and financial literacy training, thereby addressing the root causes of their vulnerability to sexual exploitation, such as lack of information and income.  

Francis Albright (MDP 2025) was elected President of the university-wide Graduate Student Government Association (GSGA) with nearly two thirds of the votes. Though only a first year Master's student, Francis is selected to represent over 7,000 graduate students, the first MDP student and the first from Africa to fill this role. Originally from northern Ghana, Francis was also active in student government at the University of Witwatersrand, where he received a MSc in Epidemiology. Francis' agenda builds on previous GSGA accomplishments, such as creating a graduate students’ union. He also plans to bring together various student associations to address food insecurity and barriers to transportation and mental healthcare. In doing so, Francis will draw upon his recent experience as  Founding Executive Secretary of the Pest and Vector Control Association of Ghana, which leveraged stakeholders' collaboration to lead the country's Covid-19 response. In addition to his MSc, Francis received specialized public health training from the universities of Tokyo, Melbourne, and Harvard. Prior to joining MDP, he served with the Ghana Health Service and with international public health initiatives. We are proud of Francis' vision, commitment, and leadership!

We are proud of Ingrid Lustig (MDP 2024) who placed 2nd in this year’s LGS Three Minutes Thesis (3MT) competition! In this contest, graduate students showcase their ability to present research findings in concise and compelling way to a non-specialist audience. For the first time ever, master’s student were included in this year's event: there were two of them among 40+ contenders, both MDPers (Ingrid Lustig and Wabei Saboi) and they showed that they can hold their own against doctoral students. Ingrid was among 12 finalists who were evaluated by a panel of judges for delivery style, clarity of presentation, quality of visuals, and audience engagement. Ingrid’s presentation focused on her summer field practicum, which she conducted with RSPH Prof. Bethany Caruso’s research team and World Vision International in Zimbabwe (see February 28 post). Ingrid spoke passionately about the challenges African women face in securing water for domestic and economic activities and described how the research finding are informing World Vision’s programs to support women’s empowerment in Zimbabwe. Congratulations to Ingrid for impressive research and communication skills!