Archive: Around Town

Irene Sumbele, a medical parasitologist from war-torn Cameroon and visiting scientist with the Master of Public Health program at the College of Veterinary Medicine, has been named the 2020 Beau Biden Scholar by the Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF).

Sumbele, hosted by Global Cornell, came to Cornell in October 2019 as an IIE-SRF fellow after fleeing Cameroon’s civil unrest and conflict. Her research has improved management of infectious diseases prevalent in Cameroon, including malaria and parasitic worm infections. She also led public health initiatives to reach communities in her home region.
Her recent research has focused on health challenges – especially those faced by children – in Cameroon’s conflict zones, where violence between government forces and separatists has killed thousands and left more than a half-million displaced and 2 million in need of humanitarian assistance.

"I am greatly humbled to be selected as the 2020 IIE-SRF Beau Biden Scholar," Sumbele said. "This opportunity will enable me to carry on the spirit of Beau Biden’s work by highlighting the plight and health-related challenges of vulnerable populations in conflict-hit areas of Cameroon."

Sumbele is the third IIE-SRF Beau Biden Scholar, and the first woman recipient.

"Participating in the Scholar Rescue Fund and working with scholars like Irene is core to Cornell’s mission of teaching and research excellence," said Provost Michael Kotlikoff. "We are proud to work with SRF and IIE to support researchers whose vital work is threatened by conditions around them, and whose work has made such a difference in improving people’s lives."

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