Introducing the 2024-25 scope Fellows

One of SCOPE's cornerstones is the graduate student fellowship program. Fellows receive mentorship from faculty and staff at our partner universities and guidance from the SCOPE Board of Trustees. The focus for the 2024-25 SCOPE fellows is to conduct formative research to define the burden of mental illness, the availability of and access to mental health services, and community perceptions, attitudes, and stigma associated with mental health in the Gondar region of Ethiopia.

 Two University of Washington (UW) SCOPE Fellows have been named for 2024-25: Hiwot Weldemariam and Brooke Erickson. Hiwot and Brooke bring complementary skills to SCOPE’s formative work in mental health.

Hiwot Weldemariam is entering the PhD program in Fall 2024 after completing her MPH in Epidemiology in June 2024 at UW. Hiwot also holds a BA in Economics from Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, an MA in Public Policy from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo, Japan, and a certificate in Health Care Data Analysis from Bellevue College, WA. 

Hiwot is passionate about global mental health and has first-hand experience working with community leaders, stakeholders, and faith leaders to address health challenges both in Ethiopia and Seattle.  She also has experience working with several research projects, including the UW Perinatal Telepsychiatry Clinic and the Perinatal Mental Health research group.

Her interest and experience in faith-medicine collaboration, along with her background in research and data analytics combine to make her uniquely qualified for this fellowship. Hiwot is planning to travel to Ethiopia in December 2024 to work with SCOPE team members there.

Brooke Erickson is entering the Global Health MPH program at UW in the Fall of 2024. Last May, Brooke completed her BA in Health, Medicine, and Society (HMS) and Psychology with a Global Health minor at Lehigh University. There, she developed a deep interest in global health through key international experiences, including independent research in Uganda focusing on mental health and participation in the Global Social Impact Fellowship with the Mothers of Sierra Leone team. Both projects used interviews and storytelling to understand historical and cultural aspects of mental health, with the Sierra Leone project focusing on maternal mental health.

Brooke is eager to expand on her international experiences and explore how SCOPE’s model connects community members, Orthodox priests, and medical professionals. She is particularly interested in how this approach provides a space for individuals to recognize, discuss, and work through hardships to improve mental health outcomes in Ethiopia. Brooke is planning to travel to Ethiopia in the Summer of 2025.