Department of Global Health Excellence Fellowship

Master of Public Health program

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Nowreen Sarwar; I am an international student from Bangladesh in the UW MPH Global Health program. I acquired my undergraduate degree from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and afterward, I decided to come to UW for my public health degree. I am interested most in community outreach programs that strengthen the existing resources of the community instead of harboring external resources. Sustainability and self-sufficiency are the goal of any of the outreach programs I do in my NGO in Dhaka, Bangladesh, called Shorolota Foundation. I am also interested in conducting systematic research to find more efficient and effective ways in which we can strengthen community ties and create long-term behavioral changes.  

Why did you decide to attend the UW for graduate school?

I decided to attend the UW MPH program because I loved the idea of working on my own projects and helping other establishments around the Seattle area or otherwise in my practicum. I like the work/study aspect that a public school like UW provides, along with the robust community it protects. I am not particularly drawn to rankings; however, that is an added bonus to be a part of a community that is deemed as one of the best in the world because you get to meet and be in touch with so many like-minded people who help you grow.  

What are your research interests?

In my undergraduate years, I was mostly interested in epidemics and virology, which is why I was privileged enough to have worked on and published a paper on SARS-CoV-19 in the Viruses journal under Dr. Shana Stoddard and had the opportunity to present it at the NCUR-2021. Later, I worked in an ecology lab with Dr. Robert Laport to venture into the stomatal polyploidy dataset of Larrea Tridentata. After a summer internship with the icddr,b in Bangladesh, I am interested in understanding long-term behavioral changes in certain susceptible demographics with minimal cost and invasion of other private entities. Currently, I am working on a practicum with Harborview injury and prevention center, and I hope to collaborate with my site supervisor with another research project soon.   

What are you enjoying most about your graduate program?

I really like the crowd in Seattle! I came to America to be in a small southern liberal arts school. I love that I have a bigger South Asian community here in Seattle, with more food and cultural representation. I do miss the sun, but my skin is thankful for always getting a break from sunlight.