“Let Your Life Be Your Argument” – Graduate students to launch over 150 community-driven health initiatives across the country.
For information, contact:
Rachel Gold, National Executive Director, The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship
rachel.gold@
918-728-1652
[TULSA, OK] –
July 21, 2026 – The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF) has announced its leadership cohort of 247 Fellows for the 2026-2027 academic year. “ASF’s new cohort represents the next generation of health leaders driving systemic change where it is needed most. I am continually energized by how our Fellows blend interprofessional innovation with a fierce commitment to improved health outcomes. Through their community-driven initiatives, these Fellows will move the needle on health disparities in communities across the nation” said Rachel Gold, National Executive Director of The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship.
The 2026–27 Schweitzer Fellows represent 53 partner academic institutions across ASF’s 10 chapters, with nine chapters welcoming a new cohort this year. These Fellows are working with clinics, non-profits, and schools to address mental health, nutrition, food security, maternal health, healthy aging, veterans, refugee and immigrant health, chronic disease prevention, and social connection. Last year, Schweitzer Fellows touched the lives of more than 23,000 individuals across the United States.
As members of the 2026-2027 ASF cohort, the students co-create community-driven projects designed to address health disparities and improve health outcomes among under-resourced populations. ASF Fellows work with the community to develop solutions that are rooted in local strengths, priorities, and lived experiences. “What makes the Schweitzer Fellowship distinctive is that Fellows don’t simply design projects – they partner with communities to understand challenges, build on strengths, and create solutions together,” said Gold.
Example projects include:
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Maddie Thigpen (University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Optometry) is partnering with Live HealthSmart to improve patient outcomes during diabetic retinal screenings by developing accessible educational tools.
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Toi Johnson (University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Applied Health Sciences) is leading a culinary literacy program that provides low-income families with hands-on education in nutrition, budget-friendly shopping, and healthy meal preparation.
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Anitha Natarajan and Maya Subedi (Ohio State University, College of Pharmacy) are partnering with Helping Hands Health & Wellness to provide medication management, chronic disease education, and multilingual resources to underinsured adult refugee patients.
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Liz Henning (University of Michigan, School of Public Health) is leading Service Beyond Service to address veteran loneliness, disconnection, and mental wellness.
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Joanna Liu and Sanika Mhatre (University of North Texas, College of Osteopathic Medicine) are leading the Community First Response Initiative in partnership with Acclaim Street Health Ministries to provide people experiencing homelessness with hands-on practice in wound care, CPR, and Stop the Bleed training.
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Michael McLaughlin and Leah Kratochvil (University of Vermont, Larner School of Medicine) are working with Cathedral Square Senior Living to reduce social isolation and loneliness among older adults by providing interactive musical programming.
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Caroline Curtin and Taylor Sabato (Wake Forest University, School of Medicine) are partnering with City with Dwellings and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to host mobile clinics providing wound care and follow-up services for people experiencing homelessness.
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Sahitya Ambesh (University of California San Francisco, School of Dentistry) is collaborating with UCSF Citywide Case Management to expand access to dental care for individuals recovering from substance use disorders.
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Hannah Tate (University of Tulsa, College of Law) is partnering with John 3:16 Mission to improve mental health and create community and stability for people experiencing homelessness.
Nearly 70% of Schweitzer Fellow projects continue beyond the Fellowship year.
“The Schweitzer Fellowship’s greatest legacy is not only the thousands of community members served each year. It’s the leaders who carry these experiences with them throughout their careers. As a Fellow for Life, I’ve experienced that transformation personally, and as National ASF Board Chair, I’m inspired to see another cohort preparing to lead with purpose, partnership, and innovation.” — Dr. Samuel Bradley, Jr., Fellow for Life 2012 (New Orleans), Board Chair, The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship
The 2026-27 cohort includes future physicians, nurses, music therapists, social workers, dentists, public health professionals, and lawyers. After their Fellowship, they will join more than 5,000 “Fellows For Life” who go on to become innovators, public health leaders, educators, researchers, advocates, and policymakers who dedicate their careers to advancing health and well-being. “Through this experience, Fellows learn that enduring impact and effective leadership depend on trust, curiosity, and collaboration. For many, the Fellowship becomes a defining moment that shapes not only how they lead, but the paths they choose throughout their careers and lives,” said Gold.
About The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship
Founded in 1940, The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that improves the health of communities across the country by developing leaders who create enduring impact through collaboration, authentic partnership, and innovation. ASF supports approximately 250 graduate students each year from ASF’s 53 partner academic institutions. ASF’s ten chapters are: Alabama, Chicago, Columbus-Athens, Detroit, Houston-Galveston, New Hampshire/Vermont, New Orleans, North Carolina, San Francisco Bay Area, and Tulsa.
Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) was a physician, philosopher, and humanitarian whose philosophy of “reverence for life” emphasized a lifelong responsibility to serve others and improve the human condition.
ASF is made possible by the support of individuals, institutions, corporations, and philanthropic partners across chapters and nationally, including a foundational partnership with the University of Tulsa, where the national organization has been housed since 2025. Visit schweitzerfellowship.org for details.
For information, contact:
Rachel Gold, National Executive Director, The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship
rachel.gold@
918-728-1652
