D. Walter Cohen Shared Leadership Scholarship
Created by Woman One at the Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership, this scholarship honors Dr. Cohen’s lifelong commitment to shared leadership among women and men, while also elevating underrepresented men in medicine.
These scholarships are made possible by donations from generous sponsors and matching funds provided by the Dean of Drexel University College of Medicine.
The D. Walter Cohen Shared Leadership Scholarship is open to underrepresented men in medicine who are committed to practicing medicine in underserved communities and who have been accepted to Drexel University College of Medicine.
Current Scholars
Garvens Charles (2025)
Garvens was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts of Haitian parents who emigrated to the United States. He earned a BS in microbiology and certificate in biotechnology from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst. Following his graduation, Garvens finished a master’s degree program in Biomedical Sciences at Drexel University.
During his undergrad and graduate education, Garvens was involved with many volunteer and community organizations including the Student National Medical Association, Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (SNMA-MAPS) chapter at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst, and the emergency department of UMass Memorial Hospital. Garvens plans to become a doctor who will provide robust health care delivery for underserved and disadvantaged communities in the United States and abroad, particularly in countries where mortality is high
Abay Tadesse (2026)
Abay was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and moved to the United States when he was 3 years old. His family settled near Philadelphia and he grew up in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Abay attended the University of Pittsburgh, earning a BS in neuroscience, with minors in chemistry and Africana studies. Following his graduation, Abay finished a master’s degree program in Biomedical Sciences at Drexel University with a concentration in interdisciplinary health sciences.
Abay was involved in many extracurricular and community organizations during his undergrad and post-grad years, including the Medical Reserve Corps and the Tri-State Black Men in Medicine. As a physician, Abay hopes to work with underserved communities, addressing the serious problem of health disparities in those communities, and building an environment trust and accountability for his patients.
Abay’s D. Walter Cohen Shared Leadership Scholarship is sponsored by the W.W. Smith Charitable Foundation.
I love having the opportunity to become a contributing member to the Cohen Shared Leadership Scholarship. I really appreciate what the Woman One program did for me during my time in medical school.
Alicia Howard, MD, MPH – Woman One Scholar Emerita (Drexel University College of Medicine Class of 2013)
Support the Scholarship
Please join us by celebrating Dr. Cohen's legacy and vision of shared leadership by making a gift. Your gift will help fund tuition support for a talented, underrepresented men studying medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine. To make a gift online, visit giving.drexel.edu/cohenleadershipscholarship.
For more information about the various levels of giving, please contact Andrea Pesce Hannan, assistant vice president of development, Office of of Institutional Advancement, at 215.432.7934 or adp77@drexel.edu.
About Dr. Cohen
D. Walter Cohen, DDS, was instrumental in the founding of the Woman One Award and Scholarship Fund, which has supported underrepresented MD program students at Drexel University College of Medicine since 2003. As a complement to Woman One, the D. Walter Cohen Shared Leadership Scholarship will promote the importance of shared leadership among women and men, while also addressing the problem of declining medical school applications from underrepresented men in medicine.
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