Thinking globally, learning locally

Living in Houston means you can learn a lot about the world without buying a plane ticket.

Beginning in the Fall 2026 semester, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston will tap into the city’s multicultural landscape to learn about global health.

Darlene Acorda, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, is leading a team of undergraduate faculty who are piloting the new Global Health Fellowship, through which students can earn one hour of course credit while learning about health challenges affecting local immigrant and refugee communities. The project, “Thinking Globally, Learning Locally: Advancing Global Health Nursing Education Through Fellowship-based Learning,” is supported by an $8,500 grant from the UTHealth Houston Office of Global Health Initiatives.

Acorda and Linda Sheen, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, are both assistant professors in the Department of Undergraduate Studies who grew up in the Houston-area melting pot.

“We know that Houston has huge global health potential,” Acorda said.

Both are local board members of Boat People SOS, an organization founded in the 1990s to assist Vietnamese refugees. It now provides a host of legal, health, and support services to new Houstonians from all over the world.

Also participating in the pilot fellowship are undergraduate faculty Karen Gibbs, PhD, MSN/MPH, RN, CPN, assistant professor, who leads community health education, and Brandi Virgin, MSN, RN, instructor; as well as Padmavathy Ramaswamy, PhD, MSN, MPH, FNP-C, an associate professor in the Department of Graduate Studies who works with the interprofessional Improving Care Access and Realizing Engagement (ICARE) program at UTHealth Houston.

The team learned through a survey that many students wanted to know more about global health, but time and resources make international travel nearly impossible while studying in the rigorous, 15-month Pacesetter Accelerated BSN program. Instead, participants in the new fellowship will learn right here in Houston through 15 hours of faculty-led seminars, engagement with immigrant and refugee communities, and a collaborative global health project.

The program will accept six students each in the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 semesters. Applicants must be full-time students who have finished at least their first semester and have a GPA of 3.2 or greater.

“Our hope is that with the initial funds, we can generate enough data to apply for a bigger grant and offer the fellowship to more students while assisting local organizations with their global health initiatives,” Acorda said.

Current students may apply for the fall fellowship through July 31. Complete details are available on the Cizik School of Nursing intranet.