Name: Louhan Dembele 

College: Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Public Health

Hometown: Blacksburg, Virginia

Plans after graduation: Dembele will be attending the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill seeking a master’s in public health, with a focus on applied epidemiology.

Favorite Hokie memory: “There’s a lot to choose from. Obviously, going to Malawi was an incredible experience. I really loved being a student ambassador, especially the open house events, because we'll have students come to the info sessions with their parents, and they'll ask us about public health. We’ll have people who've never heard about public health before who leave wanting to study public health at Virginia Tech. “

Phi Kappa Phi Medallion

Louhan Dembele, who is also receiving a dual degree in international studies, is the recipient of the Phi Kappa Phi Medallion for having the highest grade point average among public health undergraduates in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. 

“I was definitely aiming for it,” Dembele said of the honor. “I consider myself a hard worker. I've put a lot of energy into my academic career, sometimes a little too much. While I was not necessarily expecting a specific award, but I was looking forward to having something that would reflect my accomplishments thus far.”

Local and global connections

Dembele grew up in Blacksburg and presently lives in Christiansburg, but her family originates from Tanzania and Burkina Faso. She sees the public health program in its applications both to issues in the local region and on distant shores.

She has been a key member of TEAM Malawi and is returning as to Malawi for two weeks this summer, funded by the Leslie Geraldine Sherman Memorial Scholarship. TEAM Malawi, with 64 students across 19 majors, mobilizes undergraduate Hokie engineers and scientists to meet the challenges of a developing nation.

Dembele's team is testing Raman spectroscopy to detect schistosomiasis, a chronic infection that, when left untreated, can lead to bladder cancer.

“We've been doing global health research, and I'm actually a team lead this year, which has been really exciting,” Dembele said.

‘Everything you hope for’ in a student

On the local level, Dembele has been involved in the F.I.R.E. Starters program, receiving a stipend for an independent research project focusing on the experience of Black women with endometriosis diagnosis and treatment in Southwest Virginia.

She was also a NexGenPop Fellow at Duke University last summer, developing a study of vaccine hesitancy among native born Black Americans compared to immigrants.

Dembele has also served as a student ambassador and a teaching assistant, promoted family nutrition via Virginia Cooperative Extension, and worked alongside Ph.D. students on an annotated bibliography for a water quality project.

“I think it's the totality of what she's done,” said Katie Cross, director of advising for the Department of Population Health Sciences within the veterinary college. “She's excelled in the classroom, yes, and that's due to her drive, but also she's looked for opportunities to engage, whether it be research, whether it be engaging with faculty through her TA experience, whether it be through being a student ambassador. She has also looked out for her fellow student. She's very generous with her knowledge, with her time, with the resources that she has. 

“She represents everything you hope for a student to do. She’s navigated her journey, and she's done it with such poise, but also looking for ways to get involved.”

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