CEM awards seven student grants for projects in Emerging Markets

Heidi Ho, a Public Health and Journalism major in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences, and Dahlia Broberg, an International Business major in D'Amore-McKim School of Business, will implement a music therapy program at a high school in Shandia, Ecuador using their Srinivasan Family Award. This initiative aims to address pressing community needs identified during local health roundtables on adolescent mental health, such as substance abuse, depression, and anxiety.

The twice-monthly group music therapy sessions will serve students aged 14-16, providing healthy alternatives to risky behaviors while promoting peer connections and adaptive coping skills. Working with local music therapists, the program will include songwriting, musical games, and instrument lessons. In an area where over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line and cultural activities are economically inaccessible, this program aims to foster discipline, creative expression, and practical skills that improve mental health outcomes and potentially create pathways to employment or higher education for participating youth.

Shelley Lewton, a Direct Entry RN student in Bouvé College of Health Sciences, will use her Srinivasan Family Award to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study for sustainable tourism development in Silana Village, Fiji. Building on the village's existing eco-tourism infrastructure, this study aims to determine effective ways to promote tourism that uplifts the local economy while protecting cultural authenticity and the fragile reef ecosystem.

Working in partnership with local community leaders and with support from the Fijian Ministry of Tourism, Shelley will conduct tourist and operator surveys, in-depth stakeholder interviews, and on-site infrastructure assessments. The project will culminate in a detailed feasibility report outlining tourism initiatives, infrastructure improvements, and community-led guidelines for managing local tourist attractions sustainably. By taking a participatory approach that honors cultural protocols and respects indigenous knowledge, this initiative aims to create a tourism development roadmap that keeps economic benefits within the community while preserving Silana's natural and cultural heritage.

Ananda Francis, a Data Science major in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, will use her Srinivasan Family Award to conduct market research and develop a prototype for a digital investment platform tailored to the financial behaviors and needs of the Jamaican diaspora. Her platform seeks to provide an additional pathway to the limited economic opportunities in Jamaica to reduce remittance reliance and brain drain.

Ananda plans to conduct interviews in summer 2025 with diaspora members about remittances, businesses, traditional saving systems, and investing habits. This research will guide product prototyping, feasibility testing of features, and ultimately the launch of a minimum viable product with a pilot user group. By creating more accessible investment pathways, Ananda's platform aims to redirect diaspora capital beyond remittances toward sustainable economic growth in Jamaica, providing an alternative to Western-centric financial solutions.

Emily Wickard, a Biology major in the College of Science, will use her Srinivasan Family Award to investigate the relationship between iron-deficiency anemia and clinical severity of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) at Chemolingot Hospital in Baringo County, Kenya. This research addresses a critical health challenge affecting vulnerable populations in an emerging market with limited healthcare resources.

Working with the African Centre for Community Investment in Health (ACCIH), Emily will assess anemia prevalence in VL patients, analyze the correlation between hemoglobin levels and disease severity indicators, and identify risk factors, including nutritional deficiencies. The project will implement a pilot intervention providing iron supplements and dietary counseling to admitted VL patients while monitoring their recovery progress. Research findings will provide healthcare providers with actionable insights to improve patient outcomes, potentially shortening hospital stays and reducing mortality rates. By addressing both treatment protocols and root causes of anemia, this initiative aims to strengthen local healthcare systems and improve community resilience against this neglected tropical disease.

Blen Yohannes, a Health Science major in Bouvé College of Health Sciences, will use her Srinivasan Family Award to investigate current barriers and opportunities in maternal health research in Ethiopia. With Ethiopia having one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally, her research seeks to shed light on a critical turning point where foreign funding reductions threaten to reverse healthcare gains.

Working directly with Ethiopia's Ministry of Health, Blen will conduct interviews with policymakers, health officials, and NGO representatives to understand strategies for maintaining progress despite reduced external aid support. The project will culminate in a roundtable discussion with Ministry officials and an interview-based documentary on maternal health challenges and solutions to be brought back and circulated at Northeastern. This initiative aims to identify innovative funding mechanisms and community-driven initiatives that can sustain maternal health progress while raising awareness among American students about global health interdependence.

The Northeastern University student organization Innovators for Global Health (IGH) will use its Srinivasan Family Award to continue developing low-cost, sustainable medical devices for healthcare facilities in Ghana. Building on three years of established partnerships with Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Kyebi Government Hospital, and Akyem Dwenase Health Center, the team will design solutions for critical needs identified during recent assessments conducted in March 2025.

Led by Stephanie Liu, Gauri Banginwar, Bharthi Mohan, and Emma Bisson ('26), IGH will develop prototypes including a low-cost infant phototherapy system, neonatal pulse oximeter, oxygen purity analyzer, and pressure-plate suction pump alarm. These devices will use locally available materials and be optimized for easy replication without advanced tools. The project will culminate in a March 2026 trip to deliver completed devices, train healthcare staff, and conduct new needs assessments. By collaborating with Ghanaian student chapters and regulatory agencies, this initiative aims to reduce reliance on costly imported equipment while fostering local entrepreneurship and innovation in Ghana's healthcare sector.

Iryna Colon, Jack Jamroz, and Vanessa Kwakye, MBA students in the D'Amore-McKim School of Business, used their Srinivasan Family Award to develop and present original consulting cases at the prestigious International “Making Your Consulting Case” (MYCC) competition in Kelowna, British Columbia, where they swept the top three positions with their focus on emerging markets.

The students created comprehensive analyses of real-world business challenges: Iryna examined Ukranian company Nova Poshta's European expansion strategies, Jack analyzed how Ukrainian company Kyivstar telecommunications maintained operations during wartime invasion, and Vanessa explored pharmaceutical distribution solutions across Africa through Ally Pharmacy, a Ghanaian company. Unlike traditional case competitions, this format required students to select their own cases, gather original data, develop authentic solutions, and present their work as both academic projects and professional portfolio pieces.