Thanks to a unique gift, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health established this prestigious scholarship program for future leaders of public health in 2004. Named at the donor’s request in honor of Alfred Sommer, Dean Emeritus of the School, whose vitamin A research has saved millions of children's lives, Hopkins Sommer Scholars will be selected for their scholarly abilities and leadership potential. 

The program seeks individuals who have demonstrated innate leadership skills and want to channel those skills in the direction of public health. Applicants may include writers, doctors, lawyers, scientists, politicians, business executives, journalists, engineers, financial analysts, economists and others who want to make a difference in the world and are seeking the tools to do so effectively.  Their training will enable them to confront the world's complex health issues by pursuing critical discovery and its translation into effective health policies and programs.