About the Hopkins Sommer Scholars

The goal of the Hopkins Sommer Scholars Program is to develop the next generation of public health leaders. The program supports up to 15 master of public health and 11 doctoral Scholars each year at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Each Hopkins Sommer Scholar receives full tuition and a stipend while pursuing the curriculum that best meets his or her unique needs and interests. When they graduate, Scholars become members of a global network of leaders determined to make a difference in the world.

As the largest, oldest and most esteemed school of public health in the world, the Bloomberg School attracts the brightest of the bright. However, excellent research alone does not improve the health of the world. As Dean Emeritus Alfred Sommer, MD, MHS ’73, attests, good data does not speak for itself. Translating knowledge into saving lives requires vision, dedication and especially leadership. The Sommer Scholars program has already helped more than 100 students develop leadership skills vital to their future careers.

Each Hopkins Sommer Scholar comes to the School with inspiration, experience and education. They leave with greater knowledge, enriched skills and the confidence to lead others to new frontiers in the field of public health.

Related Information

"From Al Sommer, I learned that it’s better to follow your passion—even when it looks like a disorganized path—than to follow the road most likely traveled."Melva Green, MD, MPH
Sommer Scholar Alumni

"Health investment, in both the short and long run, is as important as any other human capital investment in the future growth of a community."Fred Selck, MA
Sommer Scholar, PhD Student, Health, Policy and Management

“I believe that a vaccine for malaria, despite being an extremely challenging endeavor, is indeed possible." Sapeckshita Srivastava
Sommer Scholar, PhD Student, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology

"A career in public health is a calling that holds endless possibilities for learning and service."Melissa Gilkey, MPH
Sommer Scholar, PhD Student, Health, Behavior and Society

"The desire to make a tangible, positive difference inspires me to devote my career to serving people and bringing them hope."Lynn Huynh, MPH
Sommer Scholar Alumni

"I want to return to Sri Lanka, not just with more medications, but to help bring lasting change."Shruti Gupta, MPH
Sommer Scholar Alumni

“I hope to help advocacy organizations better guide our nation’s approach to solving health problems."Jonathan Kromm, MHS
Sommer Scholar, PhD Student, Health, Policy and Management

“As global citizens, we all have a responsibility to advocate for a healthy, sustainable global society."Vandana Sharma, MD, MPH
Sommer Scholar Alumni

“Health is a fundamental right we can never stop striving to achieve – and I fully intend to spend my life doing so."Crystal Ng
Sommer Scholar, MPH Student

“I want to bring hope to people who have felt forgotten"Amy Gueye
Sommer Scholar, MPH Student

Sommer Scholars