Landy Kus
Global Health MPH'17
Program Manager, Humanity & Inclusion (formerly Handicap International)
What kind of experiences brought you to Rollins?
I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, but I’ve also spent time in Madagascar as I’m half American, half Malagasy. I did all my studies in the United States, and I did my undergrad at Macalester College, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I majored in anthropology because I was really interested in medical anthropology–interested in how people’s diverse views influence the meaning of illness and treatment, which mean different things to different people. While I was an undergrad, I did a couple of public health fellowships, some in Memphis, and a couple in Madagascar, as well. Between undergrad and graduate school, I worked at a Boston Children’s Hospital health center through AmeriCorps.
What did you study at Rollins and why did you choose this?
I was in the Hubert Global Health Department, and in the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Population studies concentration. I also completed the Maternal and Child Health Certificate program. When coming to Rollins, I already knew I wanted to focus my studies in maternal, child, and reproductive health to pursue a career in international public health. Emory had all the pieces I needed to complete an interdisciplinary master’s degree.
How did your degree prepare you for the role(s) you have led since graduation?
With the skills that you gain at Emory through the different classes, you know, whether it’s proposal writing, or critically reviewing information and statistics. I remember there was a short session about budgeting, taking survey development, and M&E (monitor and evaluation), too. The tangible skills I gained in those various classes have helped me in my roles. For instance, having gained the knowledge through the M&E course helps me in being able to collaborate with other people who are supporting me with M&E in the project I currently manage. The fact that I have had well-rounded training, and the exposure and experience from different classes have really helped.
What have you enjoyed most about your current role(s)?
In my current position, I’m a program manager at Humanity and Inclusion based here in Madagascar. I manage a project in sexual and reproductive health funded by the British government. We work in a consortium, so there are five partners. My organization’s role specifically in the project is to ensure that people with disabilities are not excluded from sexual reproductive health services. We work with organizations for persons with disabilities to inform people with disabilities about their rights to access reproductive health services. We also conduct training sessions and raise awareness with service providers and government workers about what disability and inclusion mean. As a project manager, I’m managing my team, our budget, and the activities as planned. Also, participating at a national level with various actors in reproductive health and the Ministry of Health, so making sure that strategies and policies at the national level are up to date and include people with disabilities in them.
How does your MCH relate to your role?
You know, when I took this position, I think one of the first things that came to my mind was when I was in the MCH certificate. We had a course on children with special health care needs. At that time, we were split between Emory classes and a class at Georgia State. This class was relevant when I was applying for this job. I remember an interview question for this position asked for what kind of experience I had with people with disabilities. Having had, you know, that course in which you’re paired with a family, and of course, the coursework, I could answer the question. My MCH interests were sexual and reproductive health and adolescents. I didn’t think I was going to go into the field of inclusion and disability, so that class was an introduction to me before this position.
During your time at Rollins, what experiences did you enjoy most?
The small class sizes when it comes to specific topics, you know, not the classes everybody must take as an introduction, but the elective classes, I guess. I liked having the opportunity to interact, or work, closely with professors. Within the MCH certificate, it was nice that students in the program were from different departments, and another experience that stood out for me was the practicum. I did mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with IMA World Health. I received support from the Global Field Experience Financial Award (GFEFA). I was there for two months, and it was a great experience because there were two people at IMA World Health helping us who were Rollins alumni. I was a communication intern for the organization while they were piloting new communication activities for malaria prevention and girls’ education.
What professional opportunities were you involved in at Rollins?
I had a REAL job for two years working on qualitative research about youth and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. I participated in various opportunities organized by the Career Development Center, as well, like resume writing workshops, mock interviews, and career fairs were helpful.
What advice do you have for current MCH trainees?
Honestly, to take advantage of the opportunities that are available at Rollins. Going to career fairs, or going to a conference, presents a possibility for you to network, and even discover a topic or an interest you did not previously consider. Sometimes we have in our mind, like, this is what I want to do. But you know, going to a career fair, or a conference, you may see what else is out there. I would say to remain open to other ideas, to all the possibilities that are out there. You never know what you might discover.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Oh, I like to play soccer. I like to read as well, mainly fiction. I have been reading “Half the Sky” by Nicholas Christof. Also, since I am currently based in Madagascar, I’m trying to take advantage of visiting various parts of the island.
