Campus News

November 11, 2011

Photo contest, posters focus on global health


"Trinity," Ethiopia, by Danika Barry


"The Corner Pump," India, by Niharika Bhattarai


"Untitled," Haiti, by Aubrey Graham


"Work Place Hazards," Malawi, by Colleen Laurence


"New Haircut," China, by Ju-Han Yao

The artistically beautiful photographs displayed alongside academic posters of infectious disease in the School of Medicine atrium make for an unlikely meeting of the health sciences with the fine arts. But the Global Health Scholars Symposium helped illustrate the connections between these two very different disciplines as well as the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to global health challenges.

Students from across the University showcased their work during the Emory Global Health Institute’s fourth annual symposium and student photography contest on Nov. 10.

“The Global Health Scholars Symposium is a terrific opportunity for students to pull together the multiple elements of their global health learning experience by presenting it to their peers and mentors,” says Jeffrey Koplan, director of the Emory Global Health Institute and vice president for global health at the University. “The photographs that students take and submit provide an additional aesthetic, cultural and environmental context for global health projects, emphasizing their breadth and depth.”

Thirty-four students presented posters on global health problems they worked on with in-country partner organizations in summer 2011. These issues ranged from under-nutrition and diarrheal disease in Bolivia to the environmental hazards of using pesticides in Thai chili farms, to understanding the relationships between religion, health and development in Kenya.  Many of the global health scholars worked together in multidisciplinary teams, training for real world interdisciplinary approaches to global health challenges.

Students had the opportunity to hear comments on their posters and projects from the Institute’s advisory board members, all of whom are global health luminaries and distinguished leaders in their specific fields.

The Global Health Student Photography Contest saw the largest number of submissions since the contest began in 2008, with 229 entries from 87 students.

Winning photographs earned $500 each for the following students:

• Danika Barry, Rollins School of Public Health

• Niharika Bhattarai, Rollins School of Public Health

• Aubrey Graham, Laney Graduate School

• Colleen Laurence, Rollins School of Public Health

• Ju-Han Yao, Emory College

“Photographs provide us with a unique way of qualitatively capturing what we’re seeing and feeling emotionally in the moment, and translating it to others who weren’t present,” says Laurence, who submitted two photos from her summer practicum experience in Malawi. Her photograph titled “Work Place Hazards” was among the winning shots. “The award was an added benefit, but my real motivation was to participate in this collective sharing of experiences with other students, faculty and staff. It’s a great opportunity for students.”

See all entries in the 2011 GHI Photography Contest.

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