Three CPH students are awarded the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship
April 24, 2025 • News
The spring season continues to be a busy period for most students and faculty, and the month of April is no exception for the College of Public Health. Three public health students at the UNT Health Science Center were recently awarded the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, a prestigious recognition and high honor for any student pursuing a career in healthcare.
The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Houston-Galveston (ASFHG), a 501c3 nonprofit, offers college students an opportunity to design and implement a year-long mentored community project that addresses an unmet health need for under-served populations. Throughout the project, fellows are partnered with mentors, field experts and different community sites to enhance and extend the services in place for vulnerable populations. The end goal for each fellow class is to create lasting impact in the Houston-Galveston, Texas region.
The ASFHG partners with a handful of Texas medical institutions including Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, UTHealth, the University of Texas Medical Branch and countless others. Previous UNTHSC students have been named ASFHG fellows, but this is the first year the fellowship has extended to the College of Public Health, all thanks to Dr. Lisako McKyer. Rida Malik, Priscilla Velez, and Shilpa Patil are among UNTHSC’s newest fellows selected for the ASFHG 2025-2026 cohort!
Malik and Velez are both first-year students in CPH’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program. Their decision to address mental health in adolescence/youth populations was the result of its growing public health concern. Among youth, the combined impact of academic, social, and family pressures—paired with the uncertainties of early adulthood—contributes to increased mental health challenges. Anxiety and depression are among the most common.
“If left unaddressed, these struggles can hinder emotional development, academic success and future well-being,” says Malik.
The two MPH students are collaborating with Challenge of Tarrant County (CTC) to implement a new program to provide mechanisms and skills to support mental wellness.
“With the [CTC] collaboration, we hope to contribute to a future where mental health is prioritized, stigma is reduced, and every young person has the tools and support they need to thrive,” Velez explains.
In conjunction with this partnership, the students are working with Dr. Catherine Sembajwe-Reeves who serves as their academic mentor. The assistant professor of health administration and health policy will provide Malik and Velez with guidance and support to see the program’s implementation.
Shilpa Patil is a current PhD student with an epidemiology concentration. She is interested in research focused on immigrant women’s health, the aging process, health disparities affecting immigrant communities, and oral health.
Through her initiative, Project SAKSHAM, Shilpa will tackle the emotional and mental challenges that South Asian immigrant women face while navigating their legal statuses in America. Project SAKSHAM, organized through the Prerana Sakhi Network, utilizes a peer mentorship model to empower immigrant women sharing similar challenges and experiences to foster community. The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship provides Patil with a broader platform to continue making an impact.
“Public health is more than a profession,” says Patil. “It is a calling to serve, empower, and uplift communities. I am honored to be part of this mission and look forward to making a lasting impact.”
Patil is working alongside Dr. Malinee Neelamegam who serves as her advisor and academic mentor for the project.
“Shilpa’s work consistently reflects empathy, resilience, and a deep commitment to improving the lives of immigrant women,” says the assistant professor of population and community health. “I am honored to work alongside her on this meaningful project.”
Previous ASHG Fellows have addressed health from a wide variety of perspectives and disciplines including, but not limited to, dentistry, education, engineering, law, medicine, music, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, public health, and social work. The three CPH students began their fellowship journeys this April.
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