GlobeMed Hosts First Hilltop Event

This past weekend, the College hosted over 14 global health professionals as part of the annual GlobeMed Hilltop conference during which students, healthcare professionals, professors and community members gathered to discuss global healthcare in the context of sustainability and connectivity, which the College’s GlobeMed chapter selected as themes.

"This conference was an opportunity for college students to connect with and be inspired by mentors in the field, and it was an opportunity for the mentors to cultivate passion in the next generation," wrote Pamela Berenbaum, a visiting lecturer in the sociology/anthropology department and the faculty advisor for the club in an email.

The weekend featured five keynote addresses and several small breakout sessions among participants intended to foster discussion and exchange of ideas. Friday began with a keynote address by Dr. Rishi Rattan of Physicians for Haiti who spoke about sustainable interventions and the relationship between the environment and health.

Saturday began with breakout sessions on outreach in Central America, tuberculosis, social entrepreneurship and food charity, among other topics. The day concluded with speeches by Dr. David Egilman and Dr. Hiba Salih on the role of students in the global health movement and by Dr. Michael Rich on health strengthening systems and creating sustainable preferential options for the poor. The weekend was completed on Sunday with closing remarks by Ms. Perry Dougherty of Still Harbor, who spoke to the significance of mission and values to impact and resilience in the global health field.

While each speaker offered a unique perspective on global health, the common theme throughout the talks centered around sustainability.  The members of the College’s GlobeMed chapter selected sustainability as the weekend’s theme due to its prevalence on campus, as well as its importance to the mission of its Rwandan partner institution, Gardens for Health International (GHI).

"With sustainability being such a big thing at Middlebury, we thought it would be interesting to explore it through global health," says Ellen Halle ’13, director of external development for GlobeMed at the College. "The environment is inextricably linked to health, so it made sense," she added, referring to the selection of the theme during the application process.

The conference was well attended, with over 115 participants, including the College’s 60 GlobeMed chapter members. Each of the sessions addressed a different issue within global health — from nutrition and cholera to strengthening health systems — and incorporated common ideas of health equity and using local resources to solve problems.

"People were really excited to see the ideas we talk about in GlobeMed applied in the professional world," said chapter member Emily Nuss ’15. "There was a lot of energy and eager participation."

The chapter’s co-preisdents pointed to the dedication of its student members as one reason for the weekend’s success.

"I don't think that GlobeMed at Middlebury could have put this event on two years ago or even last year — it's a huge testament to the amazing staff of students we have," wrote co-president Hannah Judge ’12.5 in an email.

GlobeMed at Middlebury College applied last July to host the Hilltop conference. Out of the 50 institutions in the United States with a GlobeMed chapter, the College and Columbia University were selected to host Hilltop events in 2012.

Sarah Endres, a program director with the GlobeMed national office, said that the College chapter’s successful use of its resources makes it unique among GlobeMed schools.

"The geography department has been incredibly useful for Middlebury's partnership," she commented, referring to a project completed last summer by some of the College’s GlobeMed students. Chapter members worked with Gardens for Health International on a project which mapped homes in Rwanda with high rates of malnutrition to help GHI better target its work.

Both Halle and Judge noted that this type of partnership between the chapter and various offices and departments on campus have been key to the chapter’s success. In the past, the club has partnered with the Middlebury Center for Social Entrepreneurship, which provided some funding for GlobeMed students to go to Rwanda, according to Halle. The group has also found partners in the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs and the Sustainability Integration Office.

Members of the College’s chapter hope that the weekend’s success will help the group’s visibility and participation on campus.

"Global health as a field at Middlebury is really growing in popularity," says Halle. "We'd like there to be more global health events in the future."