What advice would you give a prospective transfer student considering the UW? Definitely take advantage of the resources available at UW. You’re going to be in some really big classes and if you need help, ask for it! You can ask for help from your professor, but there are other people to reach out to, such as your TAs, peer tutors, CLUE, and your adviser.

Nikki Hogan studied Food Systems, Nutrition and Health (BA) along with Environmental Science and Resource Management (BS)

Esther Nguyen graduated from the University of Washington in 2020 with a major in Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Major, and now works as a research assistant with the University of Washington School of Public Health in the Center for Public Health Nutrition.

How did you get into public health and nutrition? One thing I knew was that if I only had one life to dedicate a career to, I wanted it to be one where I help people. I also knew I loved food. When I was stressed, I would cook and bring it to work to share. I think of food as medicine and as nurturing, and I believe firmly that everybody has a basic right to healthy food.

What’s your favorite aspect about studying public health and why? My favorite aspect about studying public health is its life-long learning nature. Healthcare is ever-changing — new diseases surface, new treatments are developed and technology evolves. The way that people view health is also fluid. I enjoy being in a field that keeps me curious and excited.

What interested you in studying public health and why are you passionate about it? Growing up in a community where health education and access to resources were scarce, I learned that health wasn’t only dependent on the individual, but also the community and government leaders. I pursued public health to address these social determinants of health.

What interested you in studying public health and why are you passionate about it?  My life-changing experience started as a medical student and resident at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India. During my community health posting, I volunteered to map the villages in Vellore using the then novel Global Information System.

What’s your favorite aspect about studying public health and why? My favorite part about studying public health is engaging with a diverse group of people and learning from various experts in the field.

What interested you in studying public health and why are you passionate about it? From rural Mbandaka to Tacoma, Wash., I remain a part of marginalized communities that face disproportionate health disparities.

Andrea Jade Scallon featured in Husky 100

Why did you choose to pursue the Public Health-Global Health Major? I became interested in Public Health-Global Health through its intersection with social justice. I initially understood global health as only being the study of worldwide diseases.

Why did you choose to pursue the minor in global health?: ​I knew that the knowledge I would gain from the course classes would be valuable life information. I think it is important to be an informed citizen in the topics of climate change, cultural humility, environmental health, political science, etc. and I knew that this program would provide me with that ability.

Why did you choose to pursue the Minor in Global Health? Throughout high school and the beginning of Freshman year at UW, I was always interested in everything medicine.

What influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree in biostatistics? As an undergraduate, I was fascinated by math. But as much as I enjoyed it, I realized that pure math academia wasn't a good fit for me.

What led you to choose Biostatistics as your field of study? I am particularly interested in the intersection between public health and statistical methodologies. The beauty of biostatistics is its magic of transforming convoluted datasets into meaningful information that can help advance scientific understanding of diseases and shed light on potentially effective ways to improve health.