Incubator Welcomes Saumya Khanna

September 25, 2018
Saumya Khanna.

Having been born in India and returning often since she was a small child, Saumya has been exposed to different contexts of health care, and aware of factors that affect different outcomes for people’s health. Travelling back and forth between two cultures—one in Lucknow Uttar Pradesh, India, the other in Germantown, MD—has made her especially aware of the importance of education in maintaining one’s wellbeing. “Education was passed down to me as a tool for creating better circumstances for oneself,” says Khanna. In particular, Saumya’s grandfather, a professor of physics, served in the Director of Education’s office in Uttar Pradesh, while her parents moved to the United States to seek new opportunities and to establish a new home. 

Joining the Global Health Education and Learning Incubator (GHELI) as its Staff Assistant, Saumya is looking forward to bringing together her diverse experiences to support GHELI’s online resource repository. While a college student in the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University, from which she recently graduated with highest honors, Saumya focused on understanding global health delivery systems, international economics, and development. 

Also interested in epidemiology and patterns of disease, she has worked diligently in her private life to advocate for people with blood diseases, particularly children with sickle cell disorders, teaching them at Children’s National Medical Center as a student mentor, “advocating and spreading awareness” as a Campus Ambassador on behalf of Gift of Life Marrow Registry, and now even involving herself directly in research. “My latest academic pursuit is assisting in research for Children’s National to determine how to implement effective health interventions to reduce strokes among children with sickle cell disease.” 

Saumya’s studies at the Elliott School gave her a special appreciation for international economics and its role in environmental and public health. She became fascinated by the interconnections of world economies and the interdependence of the global community: “Learning the abstract ideas and theories in international affairs and combining them with concrete models in economics, allowed me to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the realities of the world in which we live.” 

Here, too, Saumya came to value collaboration in the deepest sense, appreciating international and other efforts that do that well and don’t simply give it lip service. This interest in innovative approaches to global problems is what first attracted her to GHELI, a place where collaboration and interdisciplinary work are central to the mission. “It is rare to find a space that not only seeks to collaborate with those working in public health, but draws upon the strengths from many diverse fields to create novel solutions,” says Khanna.

Another affinity Saumya has with the Incubator is her passion for education. During a semester abroad based at Universidad Pablo de Olavide, she served as a teaching assistant at a primary school in Seville, Spain, using her English and Spanish skills to help students expand their English vocabulary, and leading discussions about traditions and culture in Spain and the U.S. Saumya has greatly enjoyed tutoring and working with young children, on the one hand, and helping high school students to “find their story” in their college essays, on the other. 

She has been an ambassador and volunteer for Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership, a member of Sigma Iota Rho – the honor society for international studies, a Clinton Global Initiative University Commitment Maker, and delegate to the United Nations ECOSOC Youth Forum, as well as a student tutor for the Latino Student Fund. “My family roots in education, observations in differences in health care, and academic interests have driven me to pursue efforts in all of these directions!” The Incubator hopes it will be a meaningful step in Saumya’s distinguished career.  

Welcome, Saumya!