Diane J. Mundt Memorial Scholarship
Álvaro J. Castro Rivadeneira
Álvaro J. Castro Rivadeneira was born in Quito, Ecuador, where he completed high school with honors. He obtained a B.Sc. in Biochemistry at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, and was heavily involved in activist groups including the Burma Solidarity Collective, Amnesty International, and Habitat for Humanity during that period. In the hopes of working in fields that could directly improve people’s well-being, he completed a medical degree at the Universidad Internacional del Ecuador in Quito where he was involved with a health policy advocacy group. After arriving in the United States in 2018, Álvaro taught at Springfield College in Springfield, MA for one year, before joining the epidemiology PhD program at UMass Amherst with the intention to work on research that seeks to reduce health and social inequities. His current research focuses on economic disparities and gambling harms. Álvaro has lived in seven countries across five continents, has practiced as a medical doctor in low resource settings in Ecuador and Nepal, has taught a range of subjects and students from elementary to graduate, and has worked for the U.S. State Department. In his free time, Álvaro likes to read, run, bike, hike, go to music shows, and spend time with his wife, and with his twin twelve-year-old daughters.
I want to offer my deep gratitude and appreciation for having selected me for this scholarship. Reading about Diane J. Mundt I learned that she tried to do good at home and abroad, working on research topics that directly impacted clinical practice, something I seek to emulate. I intend to investigate ways to address the socioeconomic disparities that stratify our health based on wealth, heritage, and citizenship. As an indebted student in my forties, with financial responsibilities to my family, this scholarship will be very helpful in allowing me to complete my degree.
Rachel Wacks (PhD, Epidemiology)
Rachel Wacks is a dedicated public health practitioner, scholar, and activist. With an impressive academic background and over a decade of work experience, Rachel came to UMass with an undergraduate degree from Agnes Scott College where she double majored in history and political science. She further honed her expertise by obtaining a master’s degree in American military history and the history of medicine from Florida State University, followed by a Master of Public Health in epidemiology from Boston University. After completing her MPH, Rachel began a career at the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs where she oversaw a multicenter randomized clinical trial; however, the heartbreaking loss of her younger brother to suicide served as a profound turning point, prompting Rachel to redirect her focus and dedicate her time to earning a doctoral degree. As a rising third-year doctoral student, Rachel is completing her coursework this upcoming academic year, and hopes to defend her dissertation proposal in the Spring of 2024. After graduation, Rachel hopes to move to Atlanta to continue her lifelong commitment to federal service while also teaching at her alma mater’s public health department – now their most popular major! In her free time, Rachel is an avid reader, a history and science nerd, loves music, especially Stevie Nicks, and her five (and a half!) year old niece is her entire world.
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for being chosen as the 2023 Diane J. Mundt Scholarship recipient. I am honored and humbled to have been selected for this award, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities it will afford me.
To me, this scholarship is more than the financial support it provides. Just weeks ago, I completed my comprehensive exams. In the coming academic year, I will take my last remaining coursework. To have the support of your family and the faculty of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at this pivotal time means so much. I am truly grateful for your belief in my potential as an epidemiologist.
I am determined to meaningfully contribute to the field of epidemiology. This scholarship helps to alleviate some of the financial burden of my education, particularly as a non-traditional, return to school student. Your support will allow me to spend much of the summer working on my research and to participate in a data course, instead of working full-time. Your investment in my education and future is truly humbling. I promise to work diligently, inside and outside the classroom, to honor your trust and the memory of Diane. I am truly grateful for your support. Your kindness and generosity will not be forgotten, and I hope to one day pay it forward by supporting other aspiring scholars, just as you have done for me.