Our Advisory Council plays a vital role in guiding and supporting the Schweitzer Fellowship’s mission to develop leaders who are committed to health equity and community service. This dedicated group of professionals brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion to our program — helping to mentor fellows, strengthen partnerships, and advance our impact across Alabama. Let us introduce you to them through our Q&A Spotlight Series.

Q: Please introduce yourself and your role within the ASF of Alabama.

A. Samantha Giordano-Mooga, PhD Assistant Professor, School of Health Professions, UAB. Advisory Council. This is my first year and I love supporting the fellows and learning about the amazing things they are doing.

Q: Why do you love serving ASF?

A. ASF offers great opportunities for graduate students to work with the community while working toward their dreams. I love that ASF helps to create civic minded professionals.

Q: What excites you most about the upcoming Fellows?

A. The amazing projects and the goals they hope to achieve with the ASF fellowship. The wide variety of interests highlight just how many groups of people that will benefit from this great program!

Q: What do you hope ASF can accomplish in the future?

A. I hope that ASF can continue to support students and increase the number of fellows.

Q: Why do you think the ASF Fellowship is important to Alabama communities?

A. ASF plays a crucial role in helping encourage students to engage with the Alabama community. While many
students want to serve, it is challenging to find time and resources. This program helps students to find the right people to help with the right needs.

Q: How does ASF help Fellows develop as leaders and professionals?

A. Any time students implement a project they are learning and growing. With the addition of the training associated with the fellowship, students are poised for success.

Q: What advice would you give to incoming Fellows?

A. Be thoughtful, don’t be afraid to ask for help, pivot when necessary, push when you need to and have fun!

Q: What personal or professional experiences have influenced your passion for service and health equity?

A. I have always been the kind of person who believes that if you can help you should help. Realizing not everyone has access to the same thing, particularly in healthcare, has made me want to help others.

Q: How do you see ASF’s role in shaping the future of healthcare and service in Alabama?

A. ASF will help create graduate students with service hearts, we need this in healthcare and in Alabama.

Q: What are some of the key skills or qualities that ASF Fellows develop that are valuable in their future careers?

A. Leadership, teamwork, time management, and follow through are all key skills students will learn through this process.