At last week’s Medical Alley Association luncheon, I was honored to introduce Dr. Nisha Botchwey, Professor and Dean for the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. A week before her keynote address, I was able to connect with Dean Botchwey, and it was an honor getting to know her on a deeper level. She told me about her Jamaican heritage, and the fact that she learned to scuba dive before she learned to swim. She also shared her ideals, formed by observing marine and human ecosystems, and her goals for influencing each in incredible ways. Nisha began her speech by pulling us in to experience the fear and exhilaration of swimming in open water. In the audience, we sat rapt with attention as she made the unexpected but necessary adjustments to meet her goal of swimming 2,000 yards. She used this as a metaphor for life, viewing each adjustment as an opportunity to learn.

Dean Botchwey has an amazing background serving as Associate Dean for Academic Programs at Georgia Tech Professional Education. She also taught at the University of Virginia’s Department of Urban and Environmental Planning, and co-authored the book “Health Impact Assessment in the United States.” Dean Botchwey’s impact on public health and social justice work was recognized in 2021 with the prestigious Dale Prize for Excellence in Urban and Regional Planning, and in 2016 by the White House Council on Women and Girls. Her educational background is equally strong, with an AB in Environmental Science and Public Policy (Harvard University), Master of City and Regional Planning (University of Pennsylvania), PhD in City and Regional Planning (University of Pennsylvania) and Master of Public Health (University of Virginia). Beyond this impressive background lives a true leader who values her family and her role advancing public policy as Dean at the Humphrey School, working with her students to drive positive change.

From a very early age, Dean Botchwey understood the impact one person could make on the world. I was honored not only to get to know Dean Nisha Botchwey better, but to form a friendship that has already affected my life in an amazing way. Thank you to Medical Alley for hosting Equity in the Alley. We are happy to support and sponsor impactful events that make a difference in all of our lives.

And thank you to Dean Botchwey for encouraging each of us to make a difference in this world.

Watch Dr. Botchwey’s talk: https://lnkd.in/gaGEYhBj

— Terri