It’s February and that means the 2012-2013 Winston Health Policy Fellows have been named. AUPHA and the David A. Winston Health Policy Board are pleased to announce that Elizabeth Karan of the University of Minnesota, Yajuan Lu of the University of Pittsburgh, and Swarna Vallurupalli of Saint Louis University will begin yearlong fellowships in June. Historically, the Board has selected two candidates each year and 2012 marks the first time ever that three were chosen. “Elizabeth, Swarna and Yajuan greatly impressed us with their tremendous talent and academic scholarship,” noted Board member Meghan Taira. “The Board strongly believes that all three of these women are extraordinary and deserve the opportunity to be a Winston Fellow.” Ms. Taira is Senior Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY).
The Winston Fellowship offers a twelve-month postgraduate experience in Washington, D.C. to students from AUPHA Full Graduate Member universities. Through systematic exposure to organizations, associations and coalitions in the private sector, as well as policy development centers in Congress and the Administration, the program offers Fellows unparalleled opportunities to expand their knowledge of the political system and how health policy is shaped. Three months of orientation visits to key policy development centers in Washington and surrounding areas are followed by a nine-month placement that allows each Fellow to explore current health policy issues in depth while gaining firsthand experience in policy making.
As usual, the selection this year was quite competitive. Of the 20+ students who applied for the Fellowship, five were invited to Washington in January for day-long interviews.
Elizabeth Karan knew early in her academic career that health policy was and would remain her primary interest. A May 2012 candidate for the Masters of Public Health Administration and Policy and the Juris Doctorate, both at the University of Minnesota, she is well prepared to make the most of the Winston Fellowship. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology & Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and has worked and volunteered with a wide range of organizations including the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the Minnesota Department of Health and Human Services, Mental Health Advocacy Services, and the Asylum Law Project. “Elizabeth has a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for public sector work,” said Anne M. Barry, Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services and Adjunct Professor at the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota. Donna McAlpine, Associate Professor and Director of the University of Minnesota’s Program in Public Health Administration and Policy, commented, “Elizabeth’s intellectual curiosity and willingness to tackle ‘big problems’ is perfect for the Fellowship.” In Elizabeth’s own words: “National health policy impacts every facet of our health care system and is poised to change rapidly,” and the Winston Fellowship represents “a unique entrance into this arena of health policy.”
Yajuan Lu developed an interest in health policy while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedicine & English at Peking University in Beijing, China. In addition to her studies, she took many opportunities to volunteer at international health conferences and local hospitals and clinics. As a May 2012 candidate for the Juris Doctorate degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Yajuan has continued to expand her horizons through internships at the Pan American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO), the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and North Penn Legal Services. In 2010 she received a research travel grant from the University of Pittsburgh Center for Global Health to support field research in China on the impact of China’s central health insurance program. Data collection included personal interviews with 300 migrant workers in the Beijing metropolitan area. At the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Dean and Professor of Law Mary Crossley commented that Yajuan’s ability to conceive of and implement such a project demonstrates “not only her resourcefulness, self-reliance, and engagement in community involvement, but also her commitment to grappling with how health policy decisions affect people within a society.” And David Barnard, Professor of Medicine and Law at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Bioethics and Law, praised Yajuan’s “demonstrated ability to combine social scientific, policy, and legal perspectives, and to work effectively in challenging social and political environments.” Yajuan looks forward to directly experiencing the interactions between different organizations and coalitions in the public and private sectors “in the heart of the nation” where decisions are being made. She commented, “I believe this Fellowship will be the ideal stepping stone towards my career goals and I look forward to working with everyone in the program.”
Swarna Vallurupalli’s commitment to health policy emerged when, as a volunteer assisting senior citizens with their tax returns, she learned how much of their time and energy were consumed by tending to medical needs. A May 2012 candidate for the Master of Public Health in Health Policy at Saint Louis University, Swarna holds a Master of Law (Taxation) from New York University School of Law, a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Chicago. In addition to volunteering at The International Institute and the AARP Tax Assistance Program, she has represented Missouri on the Internal Revenue Service Taxpayer Advocacy Panel. While enrolled in the graduate program at Saint Louis University, she served as president of the Graduate Student of Health Policy Association (GSJPA) and as president of the Academy Health Chapter at the School of Public Health. In 2010 she was a Health Policy Intern at the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs in Washington, D.C. Kathleen N. Gillespie, Associate Professor, Department of Health Management and Policy in Saint Louis University’s School of Public Health, said, “Swarna is committed to health advocacy to further the welfare and health of all people.” Edwin Trevathan, Dean of the School of Public Health at Saint Louis University, commented, “Swarna’s hard work and powerful intellect are only surpassed by her commitment to service and her belief in health policy and law as a tool to improve health.” Following the Winston Fellowship, Swarna said, “I hope to work to promote greater partnership between the private and public sector to help improve our healthcare system for all Americans.”
AUPHA and the Winston Board of Trustees look forward to welcoming all three Fellows to Washington, D.C. this summer.