Campus & Community

Spicer wins Canada-U.S. Fulbright

2 min read

To pursue master’s degree at HSPH

Joel Spicer, currently on leave from the Canadian International Development Agency, has been named a 2005 Canada-U.S. Fulbright Student, a prestigious title reserved for a select few in Canada and the United States. As a Fulbrighter, Spicer will pursue a master’s degree in public health/international health at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

“Joel Spicer is one of the extraordinary students who come to our School bringing unique experience and background that enriches the institution for all of us,” said HSPH Dean Barry R. Bloom, who is also an internationally recognized immunologist and expert in tuberculosis. “We are so appreciative that his talents and promise have been recognized by the Fulbright Program.”

Spicer holds a bachelor of arts degree in international relations from the University of British Columbia and a master of science degree in development studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He comes with vast experience on the international scene and deep understanding of development policies both in Canada and in the United States. Moreover, he has the ability to reflect on these in the light of actual experience in the field and among an international group of development experts. Before taking up his award, Spicer served as a technical officer with the World Health Organization Tuberculosis Strategy and Operations HQ.

Spicer’s objective at Harvard is to focus on the different approaches of U.S. and Canadian development agencies to global tuberculosis control. He hopes to refine and adapt The Canadian International Development Agency’s (CIDA) approach to global TB control in order to obtain an enhanced focus on the poor, and improve value for money in development aid. When Spicer returns to Canada, he plans to take up his post as program manager for global TB and child survival projects and to strengthen the government of Canada’s strategic international health policy approach as it relates to international assistance programs.