Congratulations to the two University of Maryland School of Public Health students who won prizes for this year’s Do Good Challenge!
Students across UMD spent the year advocating, fundraising, volunteering and developing solutions for pressing social issues. The 2021 Do Good Challenge was unlike any other. While this year’s Do Good Challenge was totally virtual, the student teams and the impact they made were as impressive as ever.
Six teams pitched their project or venture at the finals event and shared the impact they've made for the chance to win a share of more than $20,000.
Veeraj Shah from team Chat Health received the first place prize in the Do Good Challenge’s Venture-Track category! Shah and his team will receive a cash prize of $5,000 to further develop their social venture.
Shah is the co-founder of Chat Health, a nonprofit organization that is bridging the gap between college students and medically accurate health information through accessible SMS chatbots, which use artificial intelligence to mimic human conversation.
Run by 40 student volunteers, Chat Health has been used by more than 4,000 students. Additionally, the organization has signed an MOU with the University Health Center for sustained partnership and support.
Shah graduates this spring with dual degrees in biological sciences with a specialization in neurobiology and physiology and individual studies majoring in health policy and technology.
View Chat Health’s Pitch
Sara Hatfield from team Public Health Beyond Borders received the third-place prize in the Do Good Challenge’s Project-Track category. Sara and her team will receive a cash prize of $1,000.
Public Health Beyond Borders is a student-led organization sponsored by the School of Public Health. More than 200 University of Maryland students contribute to the organization’s mission to reduce health disparities in partner communities while attaining leadership skills and global awareness through a sustainable model of cross-cultural learning. Hatfield serves as vice president, and Shah serves as president.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, PHBB maintained its support to partner sites abroad via virtual training and services, advocated for increased federal funding for communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and partnered on a town hall with Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen.
Hatfield is a rising senior majoring in public health science.
View Public Health Beyond Border’s Pitch
Thank you, Chat Health Public Health Beyond Borders, for being fearless in promoting public health for all!
Watch Good Challenge Awards Premiere, which aired April 29, to celebrate the six finalist teams' impactful and innovative work and announce this year’s winners. The video also includes a congrats message from Dean Boris Lushniak!