A Career in Biology
I manage a multi-million-dollar, regional health portfolio aimed at combating HIV/AIDs across West Africa. As part of the United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) interagency, I collaborate with the CDC, USAID, the U.S. Department of State, UN agencies, and military health partners to strengthen national HIV responses and health systems. My work bridges diplomacy, public health, and field operations to provide life-saving care. What I like best about my job is that I can see the impact. When we address a supply-chain issue, enhance a program, or improve data quality, it has a direct impact on real outcomes: more people are diagnosed early, more stay on treatment, and fewer new infections occur. I also enjoy the complexity and scale I get to move between data, policy, and people: one moment I’m deep in HIV indicators and budgets; the next, I’m in strategic conversations with military and U.S. government leaders. It’s challenging work that demands both analytical rigor and cultural humility.
Choosing Mount Union
Coming from an immigrant background, born in Togo, raised in Canton, I knew I wanted a university that felt personal but would still push me to think bigger. I chose Mount Union because it offered cutting-edge science with real access, professors who genuinely know you, and early opportunities and tools to conduct research. The neuroscience program was a significant draw. I wanted to understand the brain and body at a deep level, and Mount Union made that a tangible reality. It wasn’t about sitting anonymously in a giant lecture hall; it was about being known, challenged, and prepared for whatever came next: graduate school, research, or global work.