Emerging Leaders Program

The Vital Village Emerging Leaders program is an educational pathway for graduate students interested in community engagement and community-based research. All students will engage in an externship opportunity as research associates paired with a community-based agency partner and a Boston University faculty mentor. Students  focus on community-based participatory research, community engagement, or setting-level intervention evaluation and the students may receive credits towards their degree.  Several group seminars are offered that will focus on advocacy, community engagement approaches, community-based research methods, and early life adversities and life course health and developmental trajectory.

Graduate students from all disciplines including medicine, public health, law, social sciences, and human services are encouraged to apply. Undergraduate students will be considered for summer opportunities. 

For more information please contact: vitalvillage@bmc.org and include “Emerging Leaders Program” in the subject heading.

Emerging Leaders 2024

• Sophia Sabala
  Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Scholar, Boston University

Emerging Leaders 2023

• Gabrielle Cockerham
  MPH Candidate, Maternal and Child Health, Boston University School of Public Health

Emerging Leaders 2022

• Talia Feldscher
  MPH Candidate, Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health
• Kayla Lesch
  Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Scholar, Boston University

Emerging Leaders 2021

• Mayuri Jain
  MPH Candidate, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health
• Helena Lanna
  Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Scholar, Boston University

Emerging Leaders 2020

• Yeelin Bacchus 
  Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Scholar, Boston University
• Phoebe Co
  Master's Degree Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Andrea Kuriyama
  Health Science Practicum, Boston University
• Julia Slayne
  Summer Scholar, Bates College

Emerging Leaders 2019

• Ishaan Shah
  Civic Scholars Program, Washington University

Emerging Leaders 2018

• Kiyoshi Hayashi
  Holistic Health Coach, Institute of Integrative Nutrition 

Emerging Leaders 2017

• Shyam Desai
  Medical Student, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
• Akiesha Ortiz
  Master's Degree Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Maclane Philips
  Master's Degree Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Emerging Leaders 2016

• Ayesha McAdams-Mahmoud, MPH
• Doctoral Candidate, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Lindsay Schrier
  Corcoran Center Fellowship, Boston College
• Flora Traub, MS
Physician Assistant Student, Boston University Physician Assistant Program
• Ying Wang
  Master's Degree Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Emerging Leaders 2015

• Chalatwan 'Jib' Chattrabhuti
  Master's Degree Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Genevieve Guyol, MAT
  Medical Student, Boston University School of Medicine
• Anita Knopov
  Medical Student, Boston University School of Medicine
• Rachel E Porth
  Social Justice Fellowship, Dartmouth College
• Fiona Shea
  Corcoran Center Fellowship, Boston College

Emerging Leaders 2014

• Simone C. Ellis, MS
  Medical Student, Boston University School of Medicine 
• Lauren Graber, MD
  Family Medicine Resident, Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center
• Audrey Jackson
  Master's Degree Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education Teacher, Boston Public Schools
• Libby McClure, MPH
  Doctoral Candidate, Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health

Emerging Leaders 2013

• Alyssa Bechtold, MPH
  MPH Candidate, International Health, Boston University School of Public Health 
• Deeksha Dua, MD, MPH
  MPH Candidate, Global Health and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health 
• Erin Ennis, MPH
  MPH Candidate, Public Health Law, Boston University School of Public Health
• Milki Tilimo, MPH
  MPH Candidate, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health 
• Dimin Zhou, MPH
  MPH Candidate, International Health, Boston University School of Public Health