Ahmed Mohammed is no stranger to helping those in need.

More than a decade ago, Mohammed, then a medical student in Egypt, regularly volunteered to aid refugees passing through the Libyan desert during his school breaks. For three years, two of which coincided with the Arab Spring, he drew on his skills and sense of compassion to help displaced individuals and families seeking medical attention.

Years later, Mohammed, who hails from Libya in North Africa, came to New Mexico State University to further his education in public health.

“I worked with a lot of refugees and displaced people living in camps, which piqued my interest in public health and led me to NMSU,” said Mohammed, who expects to earn a master’s degree in public health in December. 

NMSU’s Department of Public Health Sciences, part of the College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation, established its Master of Public Health program in 1996. Since then, the department has trained hundreds of students for careers as public health leaders, including a growing number of international students. Drawn to NMSU’s affordability, diversity and Southwestern landscape, students like Mohammed are turning to the MPH program – which ranks among the best graduate programs in the United States for 2024, according to U.S. News and World Report.Over the past decade, the program has graduated 25 international students. Among students currently enrolled in the program, 10 came to NMSU from outside the United States.

“International students have enriched our MPH program by bringing diverse perspectives, enhancing cultural competency and fostering global networks,” said Joseph Tomaka, professor of public health and graduate program coordinator. “Their varied experiences and insights have contributed to a better understanding of global health issues and helped prepare all students, international and domestic, for effective public health practice in an interconnected world.”

The MPH program is structured to accommodate students from all backgrounds, but it is especially suited for working professionals seeking to complete a graduate degree on a flexible schedule. Its two concentrations – health behavior and health promotion or health management, administration, and policy – may be taken in online or on-campus formats.

Rebecca Blay, a native of Ghana in West Africa, had long known she wanted to study at an international university for a career as a health promotion specialist. Her dream came true last summer.

While working as an administrator and nutritionist at a school operated by her parents, Blay began researching public health programs in the U.S. She reached out to several and quickly established a connection with Tomaka – and that made all the difference.

“From the way the coordinator was communicating with me frequently, I just knew NMSU would be a good fit for me,” she said.

Blay started the program in August 2023, and though she encountered some obstacles in the beginning, she said she quickly found a system of supportive professors and peers eager to help her succeed. She opted to concentrate her studies in health behavior and health promotion, which she believes will put her in the best position to achieve her career goals.

“My concentration is very broad and entails a wide scope health public health,” she said. “That means I’ll have more options when I graduate.”

Last fall and spring, Blay worked with her adviser, Dejan Magoč, to deliver a STEM outreach program that teaches healthy lifestyles to elementary school students in Las Cruces. She said it was an enjoyable experience that allowed her to draw on her previous work as a school administrator and fulfill an internship requirement.

“The pandemic has taught us that we need to think globally and act locally,” said Jagdish Khubchandani, online coordinator for the MPH program and professor of public health. “Our learning from each other’s cultures in the public health program is mutually beneficial for the students and our communities.” 

During the spring 2023 semester, Mohammed earned a scholarship and internship from Families & Youth Innovations Plus, a community provider in Las Cruces that delivers affordable health care and social services to families and children, especially those in underserved populations. 

During his time at FYI+, Mohammed worked with a team to provide mental health counseling for uninsured and unhoused individuals as well as those living in poverty. He also helped analyze data for a guaranteed basic income project headed by the state of New Mexico.

“FYI+ provided such a diverse learning environment,” he said. “I was able to put into practice what I learned from medical school and my public health classes at NMSU.”

Although Mohammed and Blay had never stepped foot in New Mexico before arriving on NMSU’s Las Cruces campus, both swiftly adapted to their new surroundings. They also found similarities that reminded them of home.

 “The community here reminds me of the people of North Africa,” Mohammed said. “They love to be around their family. They have good social connections with their relatives and friends.”

Blay, who expects to graduate in May 2025, hopes to continue her education after leaving NMSU and earn a Ph.D. She said applying to the MPH program at NMSU was one of the best decisions she has made in recent years.

“I’m very happy to be at NMSU – everything has worked out better than I imagined,” she said.

For more information about the MPH program, visit nmsu.news/mph-program .

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/international-students-flock-to-nmsu-for-master-s-in-public-health-program/s/e6378db1-bbd5-4822-ba53-95cde64ea2d0