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A Shot in the Arm for Public Health

Two public health students provide food and interview a shirtless man sitting on a sidewalk
UCLA public health graduate students who want to serve the community will benefit from $2 million in fellowship support from alumna Jean Balgrosky and Parker Hinshaw.

Fellowship support is critical for graduate students who are pursuing important research, focusing on professional development, or serving in their communities. For students at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, it’s usually all three. So the Jean Balgrosky and Parker Hinshaw Fellowship recently created at the school stands to benefit all of us.

Lightening the Financial Burden

The prospect of large student loan debt often means talented, committed students are less likely to pursue a degree in public health or work in the most underserved areas after graduation. Fellowships fuel interest in and access to a public health education.

Created with a $2 million contribution, with an additional $1 million from the UCLA Chancellor’s Centennial Graduate Scholars Match, the fellowship will help recruit students with a strong desire to work in underserved communities. Beginning in 2019–2020, it will assist with tuition and living expenses for public health students facing financial challenges.

Drawing from Experience

The support Balgrosky ’74, MPH ’80, PhD ’15 received as a student inspired her and Hinshaw to endow the fellowship. A Fielding alumna, Balgrosky was the very first recipient of the Raymond D. Goodman Scholarship Fund. “The scholarship provided significant assistance on my journey from public health student to a successful health care chief information officer,” she says. A member of the school’s advisory board and a lecturer in the Department of Health Policy and Management, Balgrosky remains deeply committed and connected to the school.

A successful entrepreneur, Hinshaw has focused on the intersection of health care and technology, and he and Balgrosky founded Bootstrap Venture Partners to support innovative and technology-enabled solutions to health issues nationwide.

Through their generosity, they’re also supporting the next generation of public health professionals.

To learn more, contact

Jennifer Powers310-267-0447

Published December 2018

A student presents in front of a screen and whiteboard with a classmate at the podium next to her.

A UCLA Fielding student presents to her class.

Donors Jean Balgrosky and Parker Hinshaw

Donors Jean Balgrosky and Parker Hinshaw

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