Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences celebrates the class of 2023! To commemorate their upcoming graduation, we’ve connected with a few seniors about their time at Weinberg College and future plans. Lizze Kiptui will be graduating in June with majors in Neuroscience and Global Health Studies.
What did you study at Weinberg College and why? If applicable, please explain if your interests transformed or evolved during your time here.
I study Neuroscience and Global Health Studies. I have always had a deep fascination for the intricate workings of the brain that influence our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. At the same time, I shared an interest in health equity and specifically in the social inequalities that influence the distribution of health and disease in communities. Since joining Northwestern, I have been seeking ways to connect my majors and carve a specialized focus on health equity in my public health career. Through Neuroscience and Global Health studies research, I became interested in the valuation of healthcare across various dimensions: technical interventions for diseases, examining health policies and insurance provisions, the quantity and quality of care, and the age of patients. From the latter, I have since become interested maternal and child health inequities and how they evolve over time.
Tell us a little bit about your interdisciplinary experience at Weinberg College. How did it prepare you for the future?
Exploring courses beyond my major at Weinberg College has been incredibly enriching and insightful. Through these courses, I have a greater appreciation for the interconnectedness of knowledge and nurtured and appreciation for interdisciplinary learning. I feel unafraid and fueled to tackle multidimensional problems in my career and confident in my ability to transfer knowledge and approaches between disciplines. My interdisciplinary experience at Weinberg College has shaped my critical thinking, adaptability, appreciation for collaboration and cultivated my creativity and innovative thinking.
What has your coursework taught you about yourself?
My coursework has revealed my passion for lifelong learning. I have developed my curiosity and remained yearning for new knowledge and approaches to apply my knowledge. Through my discussion-based classes, I have witnessed the curiosity of my fellow students which has provided me a template to morph my curiosity to embark on new intellectual investigations. Therefore, I have a huge appreciation for collaborative spaces. I acknowledge the potential influence collaboration has in elucidating new avenues of thinking, convening people with similar and diverse interests, and promoting the passion for learning.
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
Go out and have fun! Be unafraid to meet new people!
Do you have a favorite or transformative Weinberg College course you took? Or a professor that taught you?
A transformative Weinberg College course I took is the Introduction to Global Bioethics with Prof. Sarah Rodriguez. It provided me a lens to ethically examine global health practices with the aim of reducing health inequalities and disparities. The class framed the reduction of health inequalities as not just a local or regional concern, but as a profound global ethical responsibility. This experience pushed me to expand my ability to critically analyze the ethical implications of the actions taken by healthcare stakeholders, including governments and insurance companies. Moreover, it provided me with a platform to envision a world characterized by fairness and equality. I am thankful for this course in growing my ethical critique for health inequities and reinforcing my interest and commitment to advancing health equity.