Hello everyone! I am beyond excited to begin this journey and take you along with me for the next two months, but first, let me introduce myself!

My name is Katie Voong, and I am a rising junior studying Health Sciences and minoring in Global Health Technologies. I’m originally from Connecticut, and my favorite pastimes include trying new food and watching psychological thriller movies!

My interest in global health first began when I took an introduction course my freshman year on a whim. It was intriguing to learn how to develop and contribute thoughtfully to healthcare technology for limited resource settings, and it challenged me to think beyond what I knew and step outside familiar healthcare environments. 

Although I enjoyed the class, I was initially hesitant about the technical side of designing global health technology due to my lack of experience in the engineering. However, I decided to enroll in Appropriate Design for Global Health my sophomore year, determined to learn the engineering design process and broaden my skillset. Working on a team of four other Rice students, we devised a low-cost and accessible arm model to simulate arterial bleeding. We are aiming for it to be used to train users on applying tourniquets, control hemorrhagic bleeding, and save lives in an affordable and global manner. Implementing the engineering design process and seeing our prototype come to life was a rewarding experience, and made me interested in seeking further opportunities contribute to the global health engineering field. 

Now in Malawi, I will be working on a project with an intern from MUBAS (Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences), as well as gather feedback on a couple medical device prototypes pulled from the engineering design course last semester, including the arm model that I worked on! It will be exciting to receive insightful feedback from clinicians, especially in a setting that my team and I envisioned our model could be implemented in. My fellow Rice 360 intern, Mehmet and I, will also be conducting needs finding research and develop our own personal project. Overall, I am excited to build an interdisciplinary skillset by combining my background in health sciences with hands-on engineering experience. I hope to strengthen my creative problem-solving abilities, learn how to think more like an engineer, and better understand the needs of resource-constrained settings and contribute in a way that supports and strengthens them. Although I know there will be challenges ahead, I’m determined to stay flexible, learn as much as I can, and give my best throughout this journey. 

As someone with little international travel experience, I’m also excited to immerse myself in a new culture. Already I’ve been struck by the beauty of Malawi, the lush greenery and rays of sunlight illuminating the mountain peaks are sights I will not forget. I’ve also met with mentors who have shown me nothing but kindness, hospitality, and warm pride for their country. These first few days have reminded me how big this world is and how many places there are to learn from and appreciate. I’m looking forward to continue this journey and understand what makes Malawi the so called “warm heart of Africa”. 

Thanks for reading!

Katie