What influenced you to pursue a graduate degree in nutritional sciences? I was a really picky eater growing up and I always felt left out of the cool kids’ club. What was it about food that everyone liked so much? Why was it so blasphemous that I didn’t like a lot of foods other people did? Luckily, as I matured, my palette expanded, and I learned the secret: food is incredible and so complex.

What influenced you to pursue a graduate degree in nutritional sciences? I have always been acutely aware of the pressing triple burden of malnutrition around me, particularly in Tanzania, as well as in other low- or middle-income countries (LMIC). This awareness and firsthand experience ignited a desire to not only understand but also address these issues.

Why did you choose UW? After speaking to my professors at UC Davis about graduate programs in nutrition, I received high recommendations for the UW Nutritional Sciences Program for the way it prepares students to think and problem solve with an evidence-based and systems approach.

What influenced you to pursue a graduate degree in nutritional sciences? From my undergraduate education in human physiology and public health and my research focus in nutrition, I understood how crucial proper nutrition is to health, but also how difficult proper nutrition is to achieve due to numerous systemic barriers.

Becoming a public health storyteller