SUSMITA DAS, MPH, 2006, INDIA

The piece of paper that is making me smile is my future, which belongs to the Gates Institute and the people in India whom I hope to help with the skills and experience that I have gained at Johns Hopkins.

I worked on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS issues in India for almost seven years before going to Hopkins. With the completion of my MPH last year, I am now working in India as program manager with EngenderHealth – a nonprofit, international NGO. By increasing my professional competence and technical expertise, I was able to move into this leadership role in which I am now making decisions in policy design, health planning and management, and leading a team of 10 and two sub-grantee NGOs, working in six Indian states and covering a population of almost 200,000 people.

I feel privileged to be a Gates Scholar and I hope I am a worthy ambassador of the Gates Institute and Foundation in India.

Susmita Das, MPH, 2006
India