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Dear UCGHI Community,
Welcome 2024! While the new year doesn’t change the impact of global events and the ongoing despair faced by so many, I often wonder if time markers like these allow us to take a breath and reflect on ourselves, our work, and our hopes. For me, being a part of UCGHI, remains a great joy. Eighteen months into my role as Director, I remain constantly amazed by the passion, work, and impact that our centers, programs, partners, and learners have every single day throughout California and the world. My colleagues, your drive to respond to inequity and injustice and your dedication to use science, collaboration, and policy to make change, are truly inspiring.
This year, our student ambassador program received more high-caliber applications than ever before with representation from all 10 UC campuses and Charles R. Drew University. Our UC and CDU students continue to be extremely impressive and the selection committee made difficult decisions for admission to the program. Our current cohort of student ambassadors have diverse global health interests and are drawn to the educational and career development offerings within the program. While we don’t have the resources to support a larger program at this time, the amount of interest makes me hopeful about the future of global health and our up-and-coming global health leaders. But like everyone involved in UCGHI, what all student ambassadors have in common is the deep desire to create community around shared interests and make an impact.
Feeling connected to one another may be one of the biggest protective factors we have in the face of pain. In October 2023, many members of our UCGHI community from the 10 UC campuses came together in-person for a strategic planning meeting. Our work was meaningful, but it was the sense of community and deep values alignment I felt that is sitting with me at this moment. As I reflect on my role in this new year, I am committed to creating opportunities for creating inclusive community as a system-wide entity. In these spaces, I hope each person will feel comfortable to bring your authentic self and share and learn from one another.
We are extra lucky this year that we have a huge opportunity to bring our local and global community together for UC Global Health Day 2024 on March 7th at UCLA. The theme is Making Change: Creating Health Equity Through Policy and Advocacy. We have an amazing lineup of speakers and panels, wonderful poster presentations, and also opportunities to explore ways to get more involved in global health. We will have UC colleagues and learners, local community colleagues, and global partners present at the event. Join us to learn alongside each other, but most importantly so we can be with one another in solidarity to make an impact through policy and advocacy in global health.
See you soon!
Madhavi
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