Dr. Michael Merson is a very busy man.
The director of Duke's $30-million Global Health Institute, Merson has spent the last 12 months building an organization designed to reduce health disparities both abroad and in the United States.
Launched in April 2006, DGHI did not begin officially functioning until Merson's arrival in November. Since then, Merson has met with faculty, administrators and student groups to learn about their interests and expectations. He has also hired new staff and created a long-term plan for the first five years of DGHI's existence.
"Global health shows us the future of how universities can work-to have the best scholarship, and to focus our educational programs to train the best leaders, and, in that process, making a difference," Merson said.
To do that, DGHI has expanded the number of global health courses offered to students and has identified more opportunities and funding for summer internships and fieldwork. DGHI is also currently exploring the possibility of a global health major, Merson said.
"What was clear to me from the beginning is that student passion for global health at Duke is palpable," he said.
Embracing this passion, DGHI is developing a Master of Science program in global health, as well as considering the development of doctoral and postdoctoral programs. Merson said the institute is also working to collaborate with various professional schools-such as the Pratt School of Engineering-to strengthen and broaden their master's curriculums in a global health context, and establish a global health residency program with the Hubert-Yeargan Center for Global Health at the Duke University Medical Center.
DGHI's unique approach to tackling health disparities is what sets it apart from other institutions of its nature, said Dr. Victor Dzau, chancellor for health affairs and president and CEO of the Duke University Health System.
"Many global health institutes are started by schools of public health and a few... are started in hospitals and medical schools," Dzau said. "Very few are university-wide in which you have multi- and inter-disciplinary approaches to this issue. Global health touches on all areas of scholarship-not just public health."
The creation of Duke Global Health Placement of Life-changing Usable Surplus-a program that donates Duke's surplus medical equipment and supplies to global health projects abroad-and the co-sponsoring of various global health-related conferences are testaments to DGHI's university-wide approach, Merson said.
He added that another important aspect of DGHI's unique approach is student involvement.
"To rid the world of health disparities, we need creative thinkers, innovative problem solvers and entrepreneurial spirit," said Sumi Ariely, student projects coordinator at DGHI. "Solutions are within our grasp-it's just a matter of inspiring commitment on a large scale."
DGHI's establishment of funding opportunities for service-learning projects is an effort to cultivate this passion.
"We want people to have social responsibility," Dzau said. "Go and serve, but with education. Learn from your experiences. Learn from others."
Sophomore Frances Aunon, who spent last summer in Costa Rica researching the dynamics between disabled and ill children and their families, said she considers her summer experience a valuable part of her Duke education.
"It has certainly made my classes a lot more relevant," she said. "I can now connect the subject matter to my experiences from real life, and it has helped me define my interest in public policy."
Such experiences are important in exposing students to the injustices of disparities in health, Merson said.
"The world can no longer be half well and half sick," he said. "It's just unacceptable."
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