My first week in Tanzania has been a mix of adjusting, learning, and enjoying little everyday moments. I’m starting to get used to how things work here, especially when it comes to our daily routine. Most mornings start with a short walk over to the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), where we’re working this summer. The real challenge, though, comes after we get to the building–climbing seven flights of stairs to reach the design studio. It’s definitely a workout, but the view of the city from the top makes it worth it.
Once we get settled in, everyone gets to work. The other interns are working on projects assigned by DIT, and I’ve been quietly chipping away at mine, which is part of an initiative with NEST360. I’ve spent most of this week trying to understand the data I was given and get a better grasp of the project overall.
My role is to explore the patterns of neonatal hypothermia across four countries–Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, and Nigeria–and how those patterns are connected to different temperature conditions, both inside and outside hospital wards. I’m working with several data sources. One is the Neonatal Inpatient Dataset, which helps track when babies experience hypothermia (at admission versus later on). I’m also looking at temperature data collected from monitoring systems and even satellite data to understand seasonal changes. The goal is to piece all of this together to better inform how hospitals can prepare for and prevent hypothermia in newborns. It’s been really interesting so far, and I’m excited to keep learning more.
A big highlight of my week was getting to meet Dr. Christine Bohne, my mentor for the project. She’s a Rice alum working with NEST360, and it was so inspiring to hear about her journey in public health. I really appreciated how open she was about her experiences–both professional and personal–and I’m grateful to have someone like her to learn from.
A big highlight of my week was getting to meet Dr. Christine Bohne, my mentor for the project. She’s a Rice alum working with NEST360, and it was so inspiring to hear about her journey in public health. I really appreciated how open she was about her experiences–both professional and personal–and I’m grateful to have someone like her to learn from.
Outside of work, one of the best parts has been getting to know students at DIT. They’ve introduced us to all kinds of traditional Tanzanian food during lunch breaks. My first taste was chipsi mayai (a mix of fries and eggs), which was really good. But my favorite so far has been wali na maharage–rice and beans. It’s simple but so comforting, and it honestly reminds me a little of home.
I’ve been surprised by how many different foods I’ve gotten to try in just one week, both traditional dishes and unique versions of things I already knew. I’m really looking forward to the weekend and whatever adventures come next.
My name is Melissa Mar, and I recently graduated from Rice, where I majored in Statistics and minored in Data Science. Most of my academic and professional experience has been computational, so my path to this experience was a little unexpected. I was introduced to members of the Rice360 leadership team while I was looking for international fellowship opportunities that aligned with my interests in global health and education. I wasn’t sure at first if my skill set would be a fit, but I quickly realized that data plays a huge role in solving global health challenges and that my background could be an asset in this space.
nd learner in the long run.