Grace Ducat

Undergraduate Degree and Institution: Bachelor of Science in Science Pre-Professional Studies with minors in Anthropology and International Development Studies from the University of Notre Dame

Public Health Interest: Maternal and child health, chronic disease epidemiology, health equity, disease and disability distribution, and the intersection of health and culture.

Public Health Experience: During my time at Notre Dame, I completed independent research to study the inclusion of children with disabilities in communities and education in both urban and rural areas in Sierra Leone. I spent 2 months in the field conducting interviews and observations to evaluate the accessibility of resources in community and school settings for children with a wide range of disabilities and medical conditions. I identified major gaps in the availability of information on the prevalence and distribution of disabilities, and local knowledge of health resources. I then used my findings to develop policy recommendations designed to improve community education initiatives and general knowledge of disabilities, which I included in my Anthropology thesis and International Development Studies capstone papers.

Why did you chose the UNC Charlotte MPH program? I chose the UNC Charlotte MPH program because of the amazing mentorship and peer community opportunities in both the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Department of Anthropology, as I am also pursing a Master of Anthropology with a concentration in Medical Anthropology at UNC Charlotte.

About Me: Outside of class, I love cooking, baking, and spending time with my friends and family!