As Dhruv Choudhry prepares to graduate from one of the most cosmopolitan universities in the country, he hopes to dedicate the rest of his life to the health of rural populations around the world.
Currently, Choudhry is conducting research with the Department of Biological Sciences at GW, testing for antibiotic resistance in the Anacostia River.
“The pollution in the river affects D.C.’s poorest communities, so we want to take initiatives to improve the water sources,” Choudhry said. “It’s very relevant to public health.”
Next fall, Choudhry plans to work on a four-month project overseas in India or Africa to improve rural healthcare. Eventually he plans to attend medical school and become a surgeon.
“I am thrilled with the opportunities that GW and the [School of Public Health and Health Sciences] has provided me. I have been able to do amazing public health research, while attending classes at SPHHS,” he said.
While at GW, Choudhry has served as the junior and senior class representative of the subcommittee on undergraduate public health in SPHHS.
“My role has allowed me to work with professors to find ways to improve the program as well as have the opportunity to host events for SPHHS,” he said.
He helped organize “Stand Against Poverty,” which hosted speakers from the World Bank and the International Association for Human Values. Choudhry was interested in showing undergraduate students of all majors how they could get involved in fighting poverty.
During his freshman year, Choudhry joined multicultural fraternity Iota Nu Delta and served as president of the organization during his sophomore and junior years. Through his hard work, Choudhry played a major a role in the organization’s growth and development.
“My role as president of the organization has allowed me to grow and develop as a person,” Choudhry said.
As president of IND, he focused on recruiting new members and directing the fraternity to host more events. Choudhry won “National President of the Year” at the IND National Convention during Summer 2009.
