NHS Senior Earns Fulbright Award

Georgetown University senior Emily Herzberg, originally from the Chicago area, was selected by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to receive a Fulbright award.

Herzberg, a human science major at NHS, will travel to Argentina, deferring medical school at Georgetown University School of Medicine for one year. Fluent in Spanish, Herzberg will conduct research on HIV/AIDS and sexual abuse among Argentine women, ages 15-25. The scholarship runs from 2008-2009.

“The goal of my project is to address the large increase in HIV/AIDS rates among women when compared to men in the last 20 years and to see if this phenomenon is related to rates of sexual abuse among women at a young age,” Herzberg said.

Herzberg’s project in Argentina will not be her first time visiting the country. During the summer of 2007, she traveled to Buenos Aires with fellow undergraduates and Pablo Irusta, assistant professor in the Department of Human Science, to participate in a translational health science internship at the INFANT Foundation that focused on respiratory illness in children.

In addition to that basic science and clinical research experience, Herzberg has been part of a team of undergraduates who is studying antiretroviral drug resistance among HIV-positive individuals in Washington, D.C., who had never received medication.

The team—mentored by Charles Evans, chair of the Department of Human Science, and Michael Relf, chair of the Department of Nursing—presented findings at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in November 2007, as well as at the Council on Undergraduate Research on Capitol Hill in April 2008.

“Emily embodies achievement at Georgetown University,” said NHS Dean Bette Jacobs. “Her work speaks to the university’s strong foundation in experiential learning and scholarship in service to others. As a Fulbright Scholar in Argentina, she will continue this momentum that connects basic research to outcomes that benefit the public’s health.”

Also as an undergraduate, Herzberg participated in an alternative spring break project, rebuilding homes in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, and co-chaired Hoya Outreach Programs & Education, which focuses on hunger and homelessness in Washington, D.C. In addition, she sings in the choirs at Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart, a university chapel, and Holy Trinity Catholic Church, a church near campus.

“The mentoring and support I have received in the human science program inspired me to apply for a Fulbright Fellowship,” Herzberg said. “For the past four years, the School of Nursing & Health Studies has provided a home where I have cultivated my personal development. My professors and classmates have challenged me to take risks and step outside my comfort zone in order to achieve my goals and expand my opportunities for the future.”

“My own journey of personal discovery throughout my time at Georgetown and my integration into the fields of academia, research, service, and community involvement have undoubtedly set the foundation for my Fulbright Fellowship and will continue to influence my journey in the future,” she said.