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 Dr. Rohit Ramaswamy
Ramaswamy, an adjunct in the
School's Public Health Leadership Program, is president of Service Design
Solutions, a consulting firm in Des Moines, Iowa, that partners with nonprofit
and other organizations to improve service quality, manage data, and institute
organizational change. He holds a master's degree from the Gillings School of
Global Public Health and doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology.
His award will be used to devise a curriculum and pilot-test an online
training program in global health issues for managerial-level public health
professionals.
Global health issues have become more complex, Ramaswamy says, and technical solutions have become increasingly interconnected with social and cultural issues.
As a result, he says, successful skills-building programs must take into account local needs
and customs.
"Public health solutions are not 'one size fits
all,
'" he says. "How we approach a problem may be similar around the world - we analyze, consider
the complex interweaving of economic, social and biological factors - but
thinking through what makes a solution work is a local decision."
Ramaswamy wants to develop a curriculum that will
draw on knowledge present in the field and the
expertise of teaching faculty based at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public
Health. He anticipates that this program will serve as a logical entry point to
distance learning masters and doctoral programs in public health offered by
UNC.
"The local
organizations will help us understand the skills needed by their public health
workers," he says, "and then we will match their needs with the skills of our
faculty. One of the most valuable aspects will be the interchange of
information in the program, in that everyone will benefit from the rich
experiences and wisdom of our practitioner-students and our faculty."
With academic degrees in mechanical engineering, transportation planning, civil
engineering, econometrics and statistics, and public health, Ramaswamy admits
he approaches learning in a nontraditional way. "I look forward to using my varied skills to design an innovative and
unique program which does not currently exist," he says.
He applauds the Gillings Visiting Professorship
program for "extending the School's global reach, expanding the intellectual
climate by bringing in new ideas, and bridging the gap between research and
practice."
He says he is privileged to work with the School's
faculty members. "Having been associated with UNC for the last four years, I'm very impressed by the faculty's expertise, their passion, their willingness to
share with their students, and to push the boundaries of global health knowledge
forward. I am excited about a continuing relationship with these great public
health minds," he says.
"Dr. Ramaswamy has had extensive international
experience and has worked with NGOs and corporations throughout the world," said William A.
Sollecito, DrPH, clinical professor and director of the Public Health
Leadership Program at the Gillings School of Global Public Health. "His energy
and experience will add to the global strength that we already possess in the
school, and combined with his entrepreneurial approach, will quickly lead to
new and innovative educational programs which focus on the specific needs of
local communities of learners in different regions of the world. The Public Health Leadership Program is
delighted to be able to add Dr. Ramaswamy to the ranks of our faculty as we broaden our
role in global health. Based on his track record, the impact of his presence is
assured."
The
Gillings Visiting Professorship is awarded through Carolina Public Health
Solutions, established within the school to manage programs funded by a $50
million gift from Dennis and Joan Gillings.
More information about Carolina
Public Health Solutions and the Gillings Visiting Professorship is available at
www.sph.unc.edu/accelerate.
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of
communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.
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