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International Emory Global Health Case Competition

School of Public Health News April 20, 2020

Information about the competition

UAB has been participating in the International Emory Global Health Case Competition every year since it began in 2012. The Sparkman Center for Global Health selects students from the winning teams of the UAB Global Health Case Competition to represent UAB at the Emory competition. Up to 6 students are selected and they must represent at least 3 schools across UAB’s campus.

2020 team members included:

    • Olivia Watts – Undergraduate studying in Kinesiology & Nutrition Science
    • Arshnoor Grewal – Undergraduate studying International Relations & Pyschology
    • Shreya Pokhrel – Undergraduate studying public health with a global health concentration
    • Madhuri Molleti (team captain) – undergraduate studying public health
    • Anveetha Matta – undergraduate studying neuroscience + MPH in Health Behavior
    • Gopiann Shah - undergraduate studying neuroscience + MPH in Health Behavior

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, 2020 was the first year that the competition was held virtually. Usually teams travel to the Emory campus for the weekend to compete. This year Emory used Zoom breakout rooms for competition presentations so that students still presented live to a panel of judges. Twenty-eight teams competed this year, including universities from across the U.S., and international teams from Australia & Denmark.

On Saturday, March 7th teams receive this year’s topic: “Hasta La Vista Baby! Government Policies & Effective Initiatives for the Eradication of Measles.” Student teams had until Monday afternoon to select one of five countries to focus on: India, Nigeria, Madagascar, Syria or Ukraine . The UAB team chose Syria. They then worked throughout their week to develop their recommendation and refine their presentation before the competition on Saturday, March 14th.

The Sparkman Center supported & guided students throughout the process, offering feedback on their recommendations and presentation. We are incredibly proud of the effort, time, and flexibility that these students showed throughout the competition!

To learn more about future Global Health Case Competitions at UAB, read more on the Sparkman Center website.

Quotes from students about their participation:

  • Madhuri Molleti

    "Through the Emory Global Health Case Competition, I was able to learn what it feels like to be a public health leader. I wanted to participate in this competition because it gives you the chance to practice what you have learned in the classroom and work on issues relevant to the real world. This past year, I served as team captain and learned about leadership, communication, and teamwork. This competition also gave me an opportunity to connect with peers from different schools and build relationships with our amazing mentors at the Sparkman Center. " – Madhuri Molleti

  • Anveetha Matta

    “This year, 5 amazing women and I were able to come together and create a team to participate in the Emory GHCC. This experience has provided me with the unique opportunity to put my public health knowledge into practice while simultaneously being able to learn from others in a stimulating, collaborative environment! This opportunity has also allowed me to form long-lasting memories and connections with mentors from UAB's School of Public Health and the Sparkman Center for Global Health. Overall, I am very grateful for having been able to represent UAB at this competition!” – Anveetha Matta

  • Olivia Watts

    "Being a part of the GHCC introduced me to new challenges and ways of thinking. Collaborating with my innovative team of many disciplines inspired me to consider unique approaches to problem solve, and further proved just how diverse and creative public health can be. My experience left me proud to be a part of something working to develop young leaders to make a change." – Olivia Watts

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