Rebecca A. Malouin, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S.
Associate Dean for Global Health, Director of Global Health Institute, Director of MSU Canadian Studies Center, Professor at MSU Department of Family and Community Medicine | malouinr@msu.edu
Dr. Rebecca Malouin is the Associate Dean for Global Health, Director of the Global Health Institute, Director of the MSU Canadian Studies Center, and a professor in the MSU Department of Family and Community Medicine. Her research focuses on the experience of care within primary care. Before joining Michigan State University, Dr. Malouin served as an epidemiologist in the Michigan Department of Community Health and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and served as a United States Peace Corps volunteer in Niger. She received her Ph.D. and M.P.H. in international health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and completed an M.S. in epidemiology from Michigan State University.
Andrea Freidus Turner, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A.
Associate Director, Global Health Studies, College of Osteopathic Medicine
Assistant Professor, Family & Community Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine | freidusa@msu.edu
Dr. Andrea Freidus is the Associate Director of Global Health Studies and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine within the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. As an applied scholar, her work is often collaborative, community-based and participatory. Dr. Freidus has over 15 years of experience researching the intersection of culture, health and disease. Her research explores varying domestic and international topics, including transnational responses to orphans and vulnerable children in Malawi, volunteer tourism in Malawi, risky sexual behavior and tourism in Costa Rica, impact of forced evacuation on indigenous communities in highlands Ecuador, impact of COVID-19 on direct care workers in North Carolina, black women’s health equity in North Carolina, college student food and housing insecurity and migrant farmworkers access to health resources in Immokalee, Florida. She received her Ph.D. in medical anthropology from Michigan State University, an M.A. in medical anthropology and holds an M.P.H. in Global Public Health.
Qing Xia, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Outreach, Global Health Institute | xiaqing@msu.edu
Dr. Qing Xia (pronounced Ching Shia) serves as the Global Health Institute's Associate Director for Outreach and is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Family and Community Medicine within the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. In her role, Dr. Xia specializes in interdisciplinary research, education and professional development in the context of global health and international education, utilizing qualitative methods in her research projects. Her research interests include adult learning, professional socialization and identity development, health education, higher education internationalization, One Health, global health, mobile health and women’s health. Before joining GHI, Dr. Xia held leadership roles in International Studies and Programs at Michigan State University and possessed extensive managerial experience in capacity-building projects, international professional development, faculty development and international student training programs. Before coming to the United States as an international student, she was a faculty member at Sichuan University in China.
Stephanie Six, M.S.A
Global Health Studies Program Administrator/Academic Advisor | six@msu.edu
Stephanie Six serves as the Global Health Studies Program’s Administrator and Academic Advisor. In her work, she has been involved in several health education research projects related to primary care, including administering two US Department of Health & Human Services grants and serving as a federal grant reviewer. Stephanie has over 25 years of experience working in a variety of higher education roles, with the majority focusing on trade apprenticeship and medical preceptorship program coordination, research administration and human resource labor relations. She is pursuing her doctorate in education technology and earned both her B.S. in Administration and M.S. in Administration online from Central Michigan University.
Wendi Winston, M.L.I.S
Global Health Studies Academic Program Coordinator/Admissions Advisor | winst106@msu.edu
Mrs. Wendi Winston serves as both the Academic Program Coordinator and Admissions Advisor for the Global Health Studies Program. In addition to her job duties, Mrs. Winston has found ways to be an active voice at MSU, having served two terms as a member of the Women's Advisory Committee for Support Staff (WACSS), 10 years as a union representative for the Clerical Technical Union and receiving the 2017 Thomas and Concettina Gliozzo Clerical-Technical Recognition Award. Mrs. Winston has more than 25 years of customer service experience and has worked with students in higher education for over 15 years. Before joining the Global Health Studies Program, she worked for the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Detroit campus since its inception in 2009. Mrs. Winston earned both her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and her Master of Library and Information Science degree from Wayne State University.
Paige Rissman
Education Abroad Coordinator, Global Health Institute | rissmanp@msu.edu
Paige Rissman serves as the Education Abroad Coordinator for the Global Health Institute. In this capacity, she helps manage the Institute’s portfolio of Education Abroad programs, oversees recruitment and outreach, advises students on opportunities and requirements, assists the Office for Education Abroad in setting program budgets and devises policies and procedures for Global Health’s education abroad programs in partnership with faculty and staff. Prior to joining the Global Health Institute, Rissman oversaw screening, enrollment and advising for the federal Matching Grant employment program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, serving hundreds of refugees across Washtenaw County while building partnerships at local, state and national levels. She also worked as an ESOL teaching assistant for area refugees and international graduate students at Michigan State University. Rissman earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations, with an additional major in Spanish, from Michigan State University. During her time at MSU, she completed an education abroad experience in Madrid, Spain, a virtual internship with a UN-affiliated NGO in Melbourne, Australia, and was nominated as a Fulbright semifinalist for Argentina.
Gage Dansby
Communications Manager, Global Health Institute | dansbyga@msu.edu
Gage Dansby is the Communications Manager for the Global Health Institute. He helps lead internal and external communications and marketing for Global Health Studies programs, Education Abroad experiences and other GHI initiatives, while overseeing social media and marketing efforts, managing GHI websites, newsletters and event promotions. Before joining GHI, Dansby was a User Experience Content Specialist for MSU's University Procurement and Logistics, with a career background focused on digital marketing, web user experience, social media management, and video/audio production. Dansby earned his Master of Arts in Communication from Central Michigan University and his Bachelor's degree in Communications Arts & Sciences from Adrian College in Adrian, MI.
Ramjee Ghimire, Ph.D.
Global Outreach and Network Specialist, CANR/COM | ghimirer@msu.edu
Dr. Ramjee Ghimire is a Global Outreach and Network Specialist with a joint appointment at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) and the Global Health Institute (GHI) at Michigan State University. He also served as the Director of the U.S. Department of State-funded Mekong One Health Innovation Program (MOHIP), implemented by GHI, which aimed to enhance health security in the Lower Mekong region of Thailand, Laos PDR, and Vietnam by promoting the One Health approach. Dr. Ghimire is a multidisciplinary researcher and practitioner with over 20 years of experience in global health, animal health and sustainable development. He serves as a reviewer for over a dozen scientific journals and has a wide range of publications across these fields. He holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State University, a master’s degree from Western Sydney University (Australia), and a bachelor’s degree from Mumbai Veterinary College (India).
Travis Gordon, D.O., MSc, FAAO
Director, Merida Medical Education, Yucatan
Associate Professor, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine | gordont7@msu.edu
Dr. Travis Gordon is the Director of Medical Education for International Studies in Yucatan, Mexico, and an Assistant Professor of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. In his role, he oversees all international projects and collaborations between MSU GHI and Mexico.
Rene Hinojosa, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, College of Social Sciences | hinojosa@msu.edu
Dr. Rene Hinojosa is Professor Emeritus in the Urban and Regional Planning Program (School of Planning, Design and Construction) and an adjunct professor in the Department of Geography and Global Health Institute. He has taught quantitative research methods and techniques, transportation planning, regional economic analysis, housing, and urbanization in developing countries, and has organized several study abroad courses. Dr. Hinojosa authored many articles and technical reports dealing with methods and techniques for urban and regional analysis. He was the former Acting Director of the Julian Samora Research Institute, former Chair of the Department of Geography, visiting professor at the Science University in Tokyo, Japan, and a Fulbright Scholar at the National University in Colombia and the Private University of Bolivia. He has also worked as a civil engineer and consultant to international development agencies in regional development. Dr. Hinojosa holds a master’s degree in civil engineering and a Ph.D. degree in planning from the University of Washington.
Jodi Flanders, D.O., FACOFP
Associate Medical Director, Global Health Institute, College of Osteopathic Medicine | flande23@msu.edu
Dr. Jodi Flanders serves as the Global Health Institute’s Associate Medical Director and is an Associate Professor in MSU’s Department of Family and Community Medicine within the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Board-certified in Family Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, Dr. Flanders works in International Global Health and Education, as well as with those experiencing homelessness, addiction and human trafficking. Both locally and internationally, she mentors COM students in research, ethics, cultural sensitivity, scientific abstracts and poster preparation. Dr. Flanders is a graduate of Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Ruben Kenny Briceno, M.D., MSc
Associate Professor and Peru Medical Director, Global Health Institute | briceode@msu.edu
Dr. Ruben Kenny Briceno is an Associate Professor with the Global Health Institute at Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine and serves as GHI’s Peru Medical Director. At GHI, he directly leverages his clinical expertise and international collaborations to advance the Institute's mission of addressing health disparities and improving medical outcomes in underserved communities worldwide. Dr. Briceno’s research involves affordable diagnostic technologies, emerging pathogens and climate-sensitive diseases such as dengue, serving as Principal Investigator on internationally awarded and funded grants. Dr. Briceno bridges clinical practice, research, and global health leadership by serving as an attending physician in Infectious and Tropical Diseases at two major hospitals in Peru, and holds the position of Research Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Global Alliance for Rapid Diagnostics. He earned his medical doctorate (M.D.) and completed a residency in Infectious Diseases & Tropical Medicine at universities in Peru, complemented by a Master's in Health Services Management and specialized training in biosensors at MSU.
Arpon Shahed, D.O., M.S.T
Assistant Professor, Global Health Institute, Department of Family Medicine | shaheda1@msu.edu
Dr. Arpon Shahed serves as an Assistant Professor with the Michigan State University Global Health Institute and the Department of Family and Community Medicine in the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Through his leadership, teaching, and service, he is dedicated to promoting healthcare equity and capacity-building both locally and globally. Beyond his academic role, Dr. Shahed is the Chief Medical Officer at Get Well Urgent Care LLC in metro Detroit, where he provides patient care and oversees clinical operations across multiple locations. He also serves on the Board of Directors for DOCARE International and as a medical consultant for Soaring Unlimited Haiti. Over the past decade, Dr. Shahed has led and participated in numerous international medical outreach initiatives across Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru and Guatemala, focusing on building sustainable clinical programs for high-risk and underserved communities. Dr. Shahed is an alumnus of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed his Family Medicine residency at Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield (where he served as Chief Medical Resident), and holds a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from the University of Calgary.
Courtney E. Sullivan, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC, CPHON, FAAN
Assistant Professor, College of Nursing I hahncour@msu.edu
Dr. Courtney Sullivan is an Assistant Professor at the Michigan State University College of Nursing. Her research focuses on measuring pediatric oncology nursing quality and establishing an evidence base of nursing-sensitive outcomes in resource-diverse settings and countries. She is passionate about incorporating nursing priorities within national cancer control plans, currently serving as Chair of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Nursing Network, a Member of the SIOP Board of Directors, and engaged in nursing initiatives related to the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC). Dr. Sullivan has worked with nurses around the world for over a decade. While at the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, she expanded its nursing outreach from 12 to more than 40 countries, established the Latin American Nurse Educator Network and the St. Jude-VIVA Asia Pacific Nursing Institute and co-led the development of APHON Spanish chemo/biotherapy certificate courses in Latin America.
Amelia Odo, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Faculty and Researcher, University of Nigeria
Adjunct Assistant Professor, MSU Global Health Studies, College of Osteopathic Medicine | odoameli@msu.edu
Dr. Amelia Odo is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in MSU Global Health Studies, a Faculty member at the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an African Futures Scholar at Michigan State University. As a Public Health Educator and Researcher, her specific research interests center on sexual and reproductive health, infectious diseases and drug abuse control. Before joining academia, Dr. Odo worked in primary health care as a public health nurse and midwife for several years. She holds a Ph.D. and a Master's in Public Health Education, a B.Sc. in Health Education, and Diplomas in Public Health Nursing (HND), Midwifery (RM), and General Nursing (RN).
Richard Parks, J.D., Ph.D.
Academic Specialist, Lyman Briggs College | rparks@msu.edu
Dr. Richard Parks is an Academic Specialist in Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University, where he regularly leads study abroad summer semesters in Paris and Berlin. His research interests focus on colonial health regimes in North Africa and bioethical issues, which he published in Medical Imperialism in French North Africa (Nebraska Univ. Press, 2017). Before joining MSU, Dr. Parks was the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in the Global History of Medicine at Brown University. He earned a B.A. from New York University, a J.D. from Tulane University School of Law, and a Ph.D. in the History of Medicine from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Kurt Richter, Ph.D.
Academic Outreach Specialist, Department of Community Sustainability, International Studies and Programs
Deputy Director and Principal Investigator of the Innovation Scholars Program and Great Research | kurtr@msu.edu
Dr. Kurt Richter is an Academic Outreach Specialist in the MSU Department of Community Sustainability and serves as the Deputy Director of the Global Center for Food Systems Innovation (GCFSI), as well as Deputy Director and Principal Investigator of the Innovation Scholars Program and Great Research. His work centers on Human and Institutional Capacity Development projects focused on higher education, research and innovation. Dr. Richter has over 20 years of involvement in higher education and international development, having worked in numerous countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America (including long-term leadership roles in Guatemala, Colombia, Afghanistan and the Republic of Georgia, and project leadership in Malawi, Tanzania, Senegal, South Sudan, Uganda and Tajikistan). He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of Missouri - Columbia and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis.
Jacob Rowan, D.O.
Program Leader, International Programs in Merida, Mexico
Associate Professor, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine | rowanjac@msu.edu
Dr. Jacob Rowan is an Associate Professor in the MSU Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and Program Leader for International Programs in Mérida, Mexico. He is actively involved in patient care, teaching, research and administrative duties at the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, having helped establish the MSUCOM clinic in Mérida, Mexico, and delivering presentations and workshops in Japan, Mexico, Korea and India. His teaching and research interests include osteopathic manual medicine, international medicine/global health, telemedicine/tele-education, sports medicine and detection dog research. After receiving a US Army scholarship for medical school, Dr. Rowan served as an Army captain, completing his internship year at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii and serving as a general medical officer with the 1st Armored Division in Germany (including a deployment with the 1st Infantry Division to Camp Able Sentry in Macedonia). After leaving the military, he completed residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation at MSU.
Mohamed Satti, Ph.D., M.Sc.
Assistant Professor, College of Human Medicine | msatti@msu.edu
Dr. Mohamed Satti is an Assistant Professor in the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He teaches in both the Public Health and Global Health Studies programs as well as in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and serves as a visiting professor of immunology and parasitology at St. Matthew’s University School of Veterinary Medicine (Grand Cayman). Dr. Satti’s research interests include host-parasite relationships, the role of basophils during parasitic infection and the pathological mechanisms of filarial worms in humans and animals, including research on heartworms in dogs and cats to identify new pathological markers for infection. He has taught and researched internationally in public health, parasitology, immunology and infectious diseases, making significant contributions resulting in multiple peer-reviewed publications and international presentations. Dr. Satti earned his Ph.D. from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
Mieka Smart, Dr.P.H., M.H.S.
Associate Professor, College of Human Medicine | smartmie@msu.edu
Dr. Mieka Smart is an Associate Professor holding appointments in the MSU College of Human Medicine’s Department of Public Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She serves the African Studies Center, the Global Health Institute, the Master of Public Health Program, and undergraduate medical studies at MSU. Additionally, she is the director of the College of Human Medicine Leadership for the Medically Underserved (LMU), principal investigator of an alcohol policy evaluation and monitoring project in Uganda, and a co-investigator in the Methodology Core of the Flint Center for Health Equity Solutions. Dr. Smart earned her BA in public health, MHS, and DrPH in mental health from Johns Hopkins University.
Mary Kay Smith, Ph.D., M.S.N, R.N., C.H.S.E.
Director, Learning and Assessment Center, College of Osteopathic Medicine | mksmith@msu.edu
Dr. Mary Kay Smith is the Director of the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Learning and Assessment Center (LAC) and an Assistant Professor serving the Michigan State University Colleges of Human Medicine, Nursing, Osteopathic Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. In her role as a Master TeamSTEPP Trainer, she facilitates courses in academia and many hospital institutions. Her current research is focused on simulation program administration, simulation methodologies and interprofessional education. Dr. Smith is a Fellow in the International Society for Simulation in Healthcare Academy and holds a doctorate in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education Administration.
Chelsea Wentworth, Ph.D., M.P.H
Assistant Professor, Office of Medical Education Research and Development | wentwo21@msu.edu
Dr. Chelsea Wentworth is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine in the College of Human Medicine, and affiliate faculty with the Department of Community Sustainability and the Global Health Institute at Michigan State University. In her role, she regularly teaches COM 829 (Community Assessment) as well as courses on structural competency in the medical school, while mentoring graduate students in interdisciplinary research.
Dr. Wentworth's interdisciplinary research examines hunger and nutrition security, food sovereignty, patient/provider/community communication, and the social-ecological factors that shape well-being. Drawing on qualitative methods, she engages community partners to improve public health through a systems-based approach, including Indigenous families across Michigan, Pacific Island communities in Vanuatu and Guam, and partners in Flint, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. Her projects include ethnographic research on reducing child growth stunting with the Vanuatu Ministry of Health, community-based medical education research, and early relational wellbeing and food sovereignty studies with the Wiba Anung team and Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan.
She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and a Master of Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh.
Lauri Winter, M.S.N., M.P.P.M
Instructor, Global Health Studies Program, College of Osteopathic Medicine | winterl1@msu.edu
Lauri Winter is an instructor for the Global Health Management course in the Global Health Studies Program. She brings over twenty-five years of experience directing, both managerially and technically, maternal and child health programs using quality improvement and health systems strengthening approaches. She has led projects and provided consultancy services to NGOs and Ministry of Health programs in Africa and Southeast Asia. Ms. Winter earned a Master of Science in Nursing (community health) and a Master of Public and Private Management from Yale University, as well as a graduate certificate in Adult Education from the University of the District of Columbia.
Mark Hodgins
Instructional System Designer | hodgins@msu.edu
Mark Hodgins serves as an Instructional System Designer for the Global Health Institute. He is currently part of the team working on curriculum revisions for the Armed Forces College of Medicine in Egypt. Prior to acting as a system designer for GHI, Hodgins spent 38 years providing instructional technology services to the four medical schools at Michigan State University, including instructional television production, computer laboratory configuration and operation, instructional and administrative computer program development and faculty development in instructional design. He obtained his B.A. in Telecommunication and M.A. in Educational Psychology – Computer-Aided Instruction at MSU.
Abe Wheeler, M.L.I.S., M.T.S.
Librarian | awheeler@msu.edu
Abe Wheeler serves as a Librarian at Michigan State University and is the designated primary librarian for the Global Health Studies Program. In this role, he supports faculty and students in developing evidence-informed research practices. His areas of expertise include evidence-based practice, formulation of tractable research questions, data literacy and advanced search strategies across multidisciplinary databases. Wheeler possesses over 15 years of professional library experience, including 12 years at MSU Libraries. He earned a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) from Vanderbilt University.