Iman Ali
Tell us about yourself.
I'm a passionate global health professional with a background in maternal child health and mental health research. Much of my professional roles have strengthened my research programmatic skills and working on systems-level solutions to address public health issues in low-and-middle-income countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan African populations. I get very excited to work with many stakeholders on the same objectives, collaborate with teams on the ground and support the many networks that are tackling current complex issues adversely impacting diverse populations.
I was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia but grew up in Atlanta, GA, so i'm blessed to call both cities home. I received my BA in Bioethics at the University of Rochester and an MPH at Boston University School of Public Health, concentrating in health policy and global health. Outside of my career, I enjoy traveling internationally, hosting events, getting lost in a historical documentary, finding hole in the wall gems in the city and discovering coffee shops wherever I go.
Why did you pursue a DrPH?
I'm pursuing a DrPH degree to strengthen my leadership skills and be proficient in applying advanced public health frameworks in practice. My goal is to confidently create and implement large health programs that are effective and impactful to communities. I chose to be in the program at Mercer University due to the ability of concentrating in diverse population health and health equity, so I can be able to consider and lead the implementation of equitable solutions for population-level health issues.
What are you currently excited about in your job?
My job has helped me immensely with strengthening my epidemiology skills and learning from experts in global vaccine surveillance, so i'm excited to apply the skills i'm gaining in my job to future opportunities that i'm a part of.
If you could write a book about your life, what would the title be and why?
The title of a book I would write about my life would be "Too African for Americans, Too American for Africans: The Autobiography of an Ethiopian-American Muslim Woman". Without any publishing or PR experience, this title feels quite corny; however, it feels the most accurate because much of my life has been balancing the two cultures of growing up in an Ethiopian household with strong cultural values while living in an American society, all while bettering both communities simultaneously. Whether it was an American friend who couldn't understand an Ethiopian cultural value that allowed me to inform them of its reasoning or a family member who said to always remember where I come from, I've grown to be proud of all the identities I hold and know that tapping into each part helps me serve on a bigger scale.
What is something interesting about you that we should know?
I've always loved history and recently, i've been diving more into African history. Through this, I discovered that i'm related to a well-known general who was celebrated for his efforts in the Battle of Adwa. This battle, which occurred in 1896, is famously known as a moment of African resistance to imperialism, as it marked Ethiopia's victory against Italy's attempt to colonize the country. Upon my discovery of this familial connection, you can say I felt quite motivated to pursue strategies in decolonizing global health even more than before.
