Five students enrolled in UAB School of Public Health programs have been selected for the 2025-2026 cohort of Alabama Fellows within the Albert Schweitzer program: Shanquell Dixon, a Master of Public Health student in the Department of Health Behavior; Shaul Gayle, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences ; Ashely George, a coordinated degree student pursuing a Doctor of Optometry and Master of Public Health; Christine Poole, who is pursuing a Public Health Graduate Certificate as part of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies degree; and Mykala Walker, a coordinated degree student enrolled in the Heersink School of Medicine and obtaining a Master of Public Health.
These students join 19 from the School of Public Health’s history to be selected for this competitive fellowship. They will spend more than a year immersed in community public health projects in Alabama, ranging from educational resources to health care access to exercise and nutrition.
“I am very grateful to have been selected as a 2025-2026 Albert Schweitzer Fellow,” said Shanquell Dixon. “I believe that being a part of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship will hone my patient advocacy and community engagement skills. With this fellowship opportunity and my Master of Public Health degree, I hope to design a sustainable program that will improve the health of children living in Alabama.”
Similarly, School of Optometry coordinated degree student Ashely George said, “With this opportunity I hope to bridge the gap between vision care and public health, ensuring that underserved communities in Alabama will receive the eye care they need while also addressing broader health disparities.”
During the program, Schweitzer Fellows will strengthen their leadership skills and create pathways to address unmet health needs. “This is an opportunity to create valuable and sustainable change in the community that I work and live in,” said Christine Poole, Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies student in the UAB Graduate School.
In addition to the students previously mentioned, two 2025-2026 Fellows are alumni of School of Public Health: Divya Annamalai (Master of Science in Global Health ‘24) and Sophia Fox (Master of Public Health ‘24).
“We are honored to have five of the 22 Alabama Fellows representing the School of Public Health and other related fields,” said Dr. Paul Erwin, dean of the UAB School of Public Health. “These students exemplify the wide impact of public health, and I look forward to seeing their contributions to Alabama’s underserved communities. We are grateful to the Albert Schweitzer program, which I believe to be one of the real gems in Alabama.”
Learn more about the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship of Alabama at asfalabama.org.