Meet the Dornsife Global Development Scholars

Dornsife global students

For over ten years, Drexel University graduate and undergraduate majors of all levels have gained development training experience in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia through the Dornsife Global Development Scholars program.

The program leverages Drexel's global partnerships and provides challenging and rewarding international field experiences for Drexel students across our schools and colleges.

2024 Dornsife Global Development Scholars

Aminata Bangura headshot

Aminata Bangura is a first-year medical student in the Drexel University College of Medicine. She will be spending two months with the World Vision Sierra Leone WASH team. Aminata is excited to experience the integration of community values in the creation of sustainable health solutions.

Prior to DUCOM, Aminata served as a City Year AmeriCorps member where she had the privilege of teaching 5th-grade English in an under-resourced community. During this time, Aminata developed and executed tailored lesson plans for small reading groups, resulting in noticeable improvements in the reading levels. Her commitment to politically, economically, and socially vulnerable communities continued as she became a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in a medically underserved area.

At DUCOM, Aminata is currently the Co-President of the Muslim Student Association and also serves as an executive board member of the Student National Medical Association and Drexel African Medical Student Association.

Aminata is looking forward to traveling to Sierra Leone, her birth country, and working on solutions that affected her as a child.


Basira Iginla headshot

Basira Iginla is a first-year medical student in the Drexel University College of Medicine. She will be spending two months with the World Vision Kenya WASH team. Basira is overwhelmed with joy to delve into the intricate realm of global healthcare initiative models. She is eager to experience firsthand the opportunities awaiting her in Kenya, such as immersing herself with the intent to learn in diverse cultural settings, networking, and gaining clinical skills relevant to global health.

Previously, as an intern at UI Health, she offered vital health education and facilitated access to pediatric specialty services for immigrant families reliant on Medicaid. Moreover, as a research fellow at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Basira investigated the correlation between community violence and prevalent chronic conditions such as anxiety, asthma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in three underserved neighborhoods of Chicago. This research informed public policymaking, service provision, and community health advocacy efforts.

Beyond her academic and professional endeavors, Basira is deeply engaged in various leadership roles. She serves as the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) Region VIII Academic Affairs Co-liaison, parliamentarian for Drexel's SNMA, Research Director for Regional Aspiring Physician Executive (APEx), and Secretary for Drexel’s APEx.

Outside academia, Basira enjoys savoring Yoruba cuisine and spending time with family in Lagos, Nigeria. She values linguistic diversity, embracing native and pigeon languages. Furthermore, Basira is deeply interested in practicing how to speak and read Swahili.


Bharath Gowda Govindiah Chandra Mohan headshot

Bharath Gowda Govindiah Chandra Mohan is a first-year graduate student who will be spending three months working alongside the WV Honduras WASH team. He is pursuing a Masters of Public Health with a major in Epidemiology within the Dornsife School of Public Health and is excited to experience the academic, research and cultural opportunities that Honduras has to offer.

Prior to this experience, Bharath is a current IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity and antiracism) Fellow at Dornsife and has worked in diverse community settings in India, including as a volunteer in cancer screening programs and health camps, which highlights his global perspective and commitment to public health. Additionally, Bharath is actively involved in data collection and proficient in data analysis at Drexel.

In India, Bharath enjoys exploring local cuisines and has a deep appreciation for traditional cultural practices. He is also keen on enhancing his Spanish language skills, which he hopes to bolster while abroad. His upbringing coming from a diverse cultural background and his previous stint as an oral health professional, makes him an unique individual with a newer perspective. This aligns with his goals to effectively communicate and engage with the local communities in Honduras, ensuring that his contributions are both meaningful and sustainable.


Celter Odango headshot

Celter Odango is a first-year medical student in the Drexel University College of Medicine. He will be spending two months with the World Vision Honduras WASH team. Celter is excited to engage with Honduran communities and creating sustainable solutions through cultural exchanges and collaboration.

Prior to this experience, Celter worked with community and healthcare leaders on Roatán Island, Honduras, studying the interplay between economy, tourism, and healthcare accessibility while emphasizing the importance of sustainable community projects. Additionally, Celter and his team explored the public health components of Roatán Island and the different barriers affecting access to cervical cancer screening in the island’s population.

At DUCOM, he is a coordinator for the Salvation Army Clinic and a community service chair for DUCOM’s Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. Celter is also a director for DrExcel Health, an organization that fosters collaboration between medical and bioengineering students in generating innovative technologies and approaches towards current issues in the medical industry. He is also active in other organizations at DUCOM, including Doctor’s Note, Application First Aid, Dermatology Interest Group, and various community health fairs.

In the United States, Celter enjoys singing and playing the ukulele and has a deep appreciation for exploring different cultural perspectives and learning from community members.


Clara Nicole Pittman headshot

Clara Nicole Pittman is a first-year graduate student who will be spending two months working alongside the World Vision Kenya WASH team. She is pursuing a Masters of Public Health with a major in Global Health and a minor in Maternal and Child Health within the Dornsife School of Public Health and is excited to experience the culture and beauty as well as learn more about the people of Kenya. She is looking forward to learning about the primary health concerns within the various communities she will be working with, and how the health system in Kenya works to address similar issues.

Prior to this experience, Clara Nicole has worked in international development supporting health activities in the Middle East and North Africa region for a government contractor. Currently, in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area where she lives, Clara Nicole enjoys shopping, trying new restaurants, spending time with family and friends and has a deep appreciation for history and art.

She is also looking forward to experiencing nature, seeing wildlife, and gaining new perspectives on health through engaging with the community while abroad.


Emmanuella Owusu-Ampaw headshot

Emmanuella Owusu-Ampaw is a first-year medical student in the Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM). She will be spending two months with World Vision Kenya's water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) team. Eager to delve into the rich Kenyan culture, Emmanuella aims to learn of the linkage between East African and West African customs, drawing from her own Ghanaian heritage.

Emmanuella previously contributed to a hurricane restoration project in Puerto Rico, where she and her colleagues restored homes and churches. This experience honed her abilities to offer both empathy and sympathy to those in need. Actively engaged in the Aspiring Physician Executives Organization and the Student National Medical Association, Emmanuella believes in acknowledging the suffering of others, providing a compassionate ear, and offering practical solutions when necessary.

During her time in Kenya, Emmanuella aspires to learn more Swahili and enhance her skills in negotiating with local leaders to effectively implement community initiatives. With a passion for cultural exchange and community development, Emmanuella eagerly anticipates the enriching experiences that lie ahead in Kenya.


Jane Bozsik headshot

Jane Bozsik is a first-year medical student in the Drexel University College of Medicine. She will be spending two months with the World Vision Sierra Leone WASH team. Jane is excited to engage with the community in Sierra Leone and learn more about community approaches to healthcare.

Prior to attending DUCOM, Jane taught middle school math in a high-need, low-income school in Phoenix, AZ through the Teach for America program and concurrently earned her M.Ed. with a focus on secondary math education. As a teacher, Jane worked alongside the community to battle educational inequity at Isaac Middle School by making math lessons relevant, accessible, and engaging for her middle schoolers. After this, Jane worked as a Clinical Informatics Specialist at Oak Street Health and volunteered as a tutor for adult students seeking to earn their GED through a program Project LEARN in Akron, Ohio.

At DUCOM, she serves on the board of several organizations, including MicroGreens Health Outreach Project clinic, an organization aiming to make nutritious food more accessible, and RISE Philadelphia, a program connecting medical students as tutors with local Philadelphia public school students. She is also a co-president of DUCOM Hiking club, as well as the Pediatrics Interest Group.


Paavan Kapadia headshot

Paavan Kapadia is a first-year graduate student who will be spending three months working alongside the WV Honduras WASH team. He is pursuing a Masters of Public Health with a major in Epidemiology within the Dornsife School of Public Health and is excited to experience this journey with World Vision Honduras which fills him with a sense of anticipation and eagerness. Paavan is excited to explore Honduran culture and eagerly anticipates immersing himself in its rich traditions, music, and cuisine. Beyond work, he looks forward to everyday interactions for cultural exchange.

Prior to this experience, Paavan worked with the National Service Scheme in India and has conducted many oral hygiene camps and tobacco and oral cancer awareness camps. He also has served as a state coordinator and organized many community service events with Rotaract Caduceus in Mumbai, India. Additionally, Paavan is actively involved in the Drexel Dornsife Student Government Organization.

In India, Paavan enjoys sports like soccer, cricket, and many others and has a deep appreciation for India's diverse culture and appreciates, respects, and enjoys the vast diversity of each culture. He is also excited to practice Spanish and is looking forward to working with local schools and universities to learn more about the community and help in the community alongside World Vision Honduras.


Pearl Diabene headshot

Pearl Diabene is a junior undergraduate student majoring in Public Health and Spanish, who will be spending three months working alongside the World Vision Guatemala WASH team. She is pursuing a degree within the Dornsife School of Public Health and is excited to experience the richness of Guatemala’s culture and learn about the impact of climate change and political circumstances on WASH vulnerabilities within the country’s communities.

Prior to this experience, Pearl has served alongside Plenitud PR, a sustainable farm in the community of Las Marias, Puerto Rico. Additionally, Pearl is actively involved in the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students at Drexel.

In her leisure time, Pearl enjoys crocheting and has a deep appreciation for Afrobeats. Pearl is pursuing a minor in Spanish and hopes to bolster her proficiency in the language during her time in Guatemala.


Sandra Paz headshot

Sandra Paz is a first-year medical student in the Drexel University College of Medicine. She will be spending two months with the World Vision Guatemala WASH team. Sandra is excited to experience the well-preserved Mayan culture and traditions that Guatemala has to offer.

Prior to this experience, Sandra worked as a research assistant for the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, as well as a medical assistant at a non-profit community health clinic. Additionally, Sandra is actively involved in the Latino Medical Student Association and Scrubs & Shrubs (a gardening club) at Drexel.

When Stateside, Sandra enjoys exercising and cooking with family and has a deep appreciation for the nature of the East Coast. She is delighted to use her Spanish fluency in a professional setting and apply her interests in women’s rights advocacy.


2023 Dornsife Scholars

2022 Dornsife Scholars

2021 Dornsife Scholars

2020 Dornsife Scholars

2019 Dornsife Scholars

2018 Dornsife Scholars

2017 Dornsife Scholars

2016 Dornsife Scholars

2015 Dornsife Scholars

2014 Dornsife Scholars


Learn more about how to apply to become a Dornsife Global Development Scholar.

Learn more about other global health training programs at Drexel Dornsife.

Kyra Sacksith (Undergraduate, College of Arts and Sciences), a Summer Experience Scholar will be spending 3 months with World Vision Senegal. Sacksith enjoys helping people and looks forward to helping people through the water crisis. She looks forward to using a community-based approach to create and implement WASH interventions. Sacksith hopes this experience will prepare her for her career in public health.
Kyra Sacksith (Undergraduate, College of Arts and Sciences), a Summer Experience Scholar will be spending 3 months with World Vision Senegal. Sacksith enjoys helping people and looks forward to helping people through the water crisis. She looks forward to using a community-based approach to create and implement WASH interventions. Sacksith hopes this experience will prepare her for her career in public health.