Master of Public Health (MPH) student Radhika Chawla is the recipient of the inaugural IPAC Canada admission scholarship of $10,000.
On January 1, 2022, Queen’s University entered a strategic alliance agreement with IPAC Canada to provide advanced training in Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) through development of a MPH with Specialization in IPAC. As part of this agreement, Queen’s offers an admission scholarship of $10,000 to one in every 15 students accepted into the MPH with IPAC Specialization, to a maximum of 10 scholarships per academic year, commencing September 2023.
Admission into the MPH with Specialization in IPAC is highly competitive and rigorous; each application receives two independent Faculty reviews scored using standardized criteria and a rubric, including a procedure to resolve discrepancies. Every candidate accepted into the Master of Public Health with Specialization in IPAC is top notch and well deserving of their acceptance into the program.
For consideration of the scholarship, the application material of each candidate accepted into the MPH with Specialization in IPAC is further reviewed and discussed by a 4-member Scholarship Review Committee composed of Faculty in the Department of Public Health Sciences and delegates of IPAC Canada. Each application is scored on the quality of the applicant’s expression of interest explaining how IPAC competencies will inform future career goals and vision for public health impact, as well as the strength of the equity statement and academic performance.
After careful deliberation and discussion, the Committee selected Chawla as the recipient of the inaugural 2023 IPAC Canada admission scholarship.
“I am incredibly honoured and grateful to be selected to receive the IPAC Canada scholarship,” says Chawla. “My experiences in healthcare have been formative to my ever-growing passion for the IPAC field, and I look forward to contributing to and advancing my career in IPAC and public health. I am very excited to start the MPH with IPAC Specialization program at Queen’s University this fall.”
“Radhika's articulated vision for the role of IPAC in public health is impressive,” says Erica Weir, Director, MPH IPAC Specialization. “We are delighted by the overall caliber of students entering the MPH with IPAC Specialization this year - and look forward to advancing their competency and professional development through the program.
“The IPAC Canada scholarship is a wonderful opportunity to support a deserving graduate student,” says Colette Ouellet, President of IPAC Canada. “The members of the Scholarship Committee were impressed by Radhika Chawla’s academic achievements, commitment to equity, and reflections on the IPAC core competencies. On behalf of IPAC Canada, we would like to congratulate Radhika as our inaugural winner.”