Headshot of MPH Student Ale Barrientos

Q&A with Alé Barrientos

GSEE and DGH Graduate Excellence Award Research Assistantship with Dr. Susan Graham 

Master of Public Health in Global Health 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. 

I am local to the PNW and a product of immigration — most of my family still lives in México. I am the first person in my family to pursue a graduate education. Academically, anthropology comes first, and my training as an anthropologist shapes how I see the world and approach my work.

Meet the 2024-25 DGH Research Assistants, Fellows, and Awardees

Each year the University of Washington's (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 2024-25 academic year, 19 outstanding graduate students received funding to support their studies, 15 of whom are highlighted here. Learn more about this impressive cohort, including their journeys to arrive at the UW and the impact they hope to have on the field of global health.

Headshot of MPH Student Husam Alattar

Q&A with Husam Alattar

DGH Excellence Award Teaching Assistantship 

Master of Public Health in Global Health 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. 

I am a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip, raised in the Khan Younis refugee camp. Growing up there, I developed a deep sense of community, resilience, and compassion. This upbringing shaped my commitment to serving others and creating meaningful connections.

DGH Year in Review - 2024

In 2024 Department of Global Health (DGH) students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community partners collaborated with the goal of improving health for all. Through community-centered research, our faculty and students investigated the causes of HIV/STI prevention, examined the resilience of healthcare systems, and highlighted the importance of rural health equity. 2024 was also a year of recognition as we thanked Dr. Carey Farquhar for her two years of service as interim chair, and welcomed Heidi van Rooyen as department chair. 

For Heidi van Rooyen, equitable partnerships are at the center of global health leadership

UW School of Public Health

Heidi van Rooyen didn’t pursue a degree in public health, but it came knocking on her door all the same. “In a way, public health found me,” she said. It found her growing up in South Africa. From a young age, van Rooyen had a sharp awareness of health inequities that resulted from apartheid.

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