Archita Achanta, (Class of 2018), and Martha Ndung’u, (Class of 2019) from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, are among the twenty-three graduate students from six universities and representing ten academic disciplines selected for The Pittsburgh Schweitzer Fellows Program (PSFP) 2017-2018 Class of Fellows. They will spend the year addressing the health and human service needs of disadvantaged citizens in Western Pennsylvania while developing lifelong leadership skills.
Archita Achanta is a Traditional Fellow who will work with patients at the Birmingham Free Clinic. Achanta will educate patients on how to use the clinic for their acute and primary care needs rather than visiting an emergency department for treatment.
Martha Ndung’u is a Traditional Fellow. Ndung’u will provide chronic disease and naloxone education and training to incarcerated individuals at the Allegheny County Jail, as well as provide community resources post-incarceration.
The Pittsburgh Schweitzer Fellows Program, a chapter of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, promotes health and environmental justice by developing leaders in service who embody the legacy of Albert Schweitzer. As the only yearlong, direct service, interdisciplinary, experiential learning program for graduate students that addresses the needs of disadvantaged citizens in southwest Pennsylvania, PSFP attracts outstanding and dedicated emerging professionals.
The Pittsburgh Schweitzer Fellows Program is one of 14 programs across the nation of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, and PSFP is the only program to offer a Traditional and Environmental Fellowship. To date, nearly 3,500 Schweitzer Fellows across the country have delivered nearly 500,000 hours of service to approximately 300,000 people in need. Upon completion of their Fellowship, the Fellows will join a network of nearly 3,500 Fellows for Life – Schweitzer Fellowship alumni who are skilled in, and committed to, addressing the health needs of underserved people throughout their careers.
Two University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy students graduated from the Fellowship. Dilafruz Khakimova and Brittany Lewis graduated on Sunday, May 7, 2017.
