Katherine Thurber
2011 Anne Wexler U.S. Scholar
“Malnutrition is a global epidemic, with more deleterious effects than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. This past summer, I saw the devastating impact of malnutrition firsthand, at a hospital in Rukungiri, Uganda, and gained an understanding of the magnitude of the problem.”
Ms Katherine Thurber, a student in Social / Cognitive Neuroscience and Global Health / Health Policy at Harvard University is the U.S. winner of the inaugural Anne Wexler Australian-American Studies Scholarships in Public Policy.
Katherine will use her Anne Wexler Scholarship to undertake a Master of Philosophy at the ANU Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, studying malnutrition among Aboriginal Australians.
“Malnutrition is a critical issue facing Indigenous people in many countries, and further research in this area could lead to vast improvements in health outcomes,” Katherine said.
Katherine gained experience with the issue in summer 2010 at a rural hospital in Rukungiri, Uganda, where she worked with fellow Harvard students to establish a malnutrition treatment program.
“Through coursework and research at ANU, I will build upon the knowledge of malnutrition that I have gained through my work in Uganda. In addition, I hope that the study of malnutrition among the Aboriginal Australian population will provide me with insight into the nutritional problems faced within populations in the United States, such as the Inuit and the Native Americans.”
Katherine expects to graduate with her Bachelor of Arts in May 2011. She has won other awards and prizes including being co-President of the Harvard Global Hunger Initiative, and the recipient of a David Roux Global Health Travel Grant, a Harvard Committee on Human Rights Summer Scholar Award, AmeriCorps Student Leader in Service Award, and a Herchel Smith Harvard Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.
In 2009 the Australian Government announced the establishment of a prestigious annual scholarship program to recognise the many contributions by Mrs Anne Wexler for her role in fostering Australian-American relations. She was made an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) by the Australian Government for her work on the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement and the Australian-American Leadership Dialogue.
The Anne Wexler Scholarships are part of the Australian Government’s Australia Awards Program and are funded through the Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission. The Scholarships are awarded for up to two years and are valued at up to A$140,000 each.