Of the ten Duke global health majors who graduated with distinction, seven are Bass Connections alumni. The Graduation with Distinction program recognizes students who demonstrate academic excellence by completing a substantive written project.

Parth Chodavadia evaluated the relationship between physical health, mental health and academic performance on an orphaned and vulnerable population in New Delhi, India.

Elle Gault completed a critical analysis of the efficacy of mental health task-shifting models in Haiti and Nepal.

My most compelling takeaway from this project is the complicated construction of the term 'layperson.' The international community has been able to determine what and who is important in low-income health care delivery models, which is emphasized by the abstract term. —Elle Gault

Laurie Hwang compared French and U.S. health research on the neurodevelopmental and epigenetic effects of tobacco exposure on vulnerable populations.

Madelaine Katz evaluated the impact of a primary school intervention on reproductive health and well-being for girls post-primary in rural Kenya.

Jenny Li studied the present and future possibilities of a new distance-learning advanced degree program for promoting workforce sustainability of nurse anesthetists in Ghana.

Everything I've collected belongs not to me, but to our Ghanaian friends who so generously gifted us with their time and insights. My greatest hope is that what I've produced this year can be given back to the people and communities we visited and be useful to them. —Jenny Li

Taylor Trentadue conducted a cross-cultural analysis of gait biomechanics and musculoskeletal health in Madagascar.

The findings from my research underline the importance of musculoskeletal health in a global health context. Musculoskeletal health is among the foremost contributors to years lived with disability, and this project emphasizes the interconnectedness between self-reported pain and biomechanical functioning in the lower extremity. —Taylor Trentadue

Julia Tuttle studied the product development partnership model for neglected disease drug development, using the Drugs for Neglected Disease Initiative as a case study.

Learn More

• Read about their projects and see photos in the Duke Global Health Institute’s multimedia presentation Distinctive 2016 Grads.
• See examples of undergraduate and graduate students who leveraged Bass Connections participation for their thesis or dissertation.
• Find out how to get involved with Bass Connections.

Photo: Taylor Trentadue embedding the force platform in the ground in Madagascar for the first time.