Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship Granted to Alli Roshni, Class of 2023
Alli Roshni '23 Awarded Prestigious Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship for Global Health Studies at Oxford
Alli Roshni, a biology and economics major from Delhi, India, has been awarded the prestigious Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship to pursue a master’s of science in global health science and epidemiology at the University of Oxford. This scholarship covers her full tuition, living, travel, and related expenses, and includes participation in a Leadership Programme with interdisciplinary activities alongside a diverse cohort of scholars from 24 countries.
Roshni's academic and research accomplishments have earned her recognition at Oberlin College, where she graduated in 2023. During her time at Oberlin, she was influenced by her liberal arts education to pursue the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship.
Post-graduation, from 2023 to 2024, Roshni was a Watson Fellowship recipient for a self-designed, fully-funded year-long research project titled “Rethinking ‘Global Health.’” Her work involved research on the intersections of HIV and gender-based violence, specifically focusing on the experiences of young HIV peer counselors, conducted with a University of Cape Town/University of Oxford collaborative team in Zambia and South Africa. Additionally, she supported the South African Butterfly Home, which provides pediatric palliative care, through administrative, website, medical, and educational assistance.
Roshni's research in Jordan, where she researched the reproductive health of migrant garment workers and conducted health surveys with refugees, is a testament to her commitment to global health. She also interacted with a student body at Oberlin who shared similar aspirations for social justice, and worked with various student organizations such as the Oberlin Public Health Society, Reproductive Justice Alliance, OSCA, Third World Co-op, and the Asian American Alliance.
Roshni's academic journey at Oberlin was guided by advice from her faculty mentors, including Yolanda Cruz's suggestion to relax and not view achievement as a challenge, and Mary Garvin's encouragement to advocate for oneself. She took classes such as Disease Ecology with Emerita Professor of Biology Mary Garvin, Designer Babies and Other Possibilities with Emerita Professor of Biology Yolanda Cruz, and The Economics of Housing and Real Estate with Professor of Economics Ron Cheung.
In 2023, Roshni was also awarded the Nexial Prize. She is currently co-founder of the Khushtaar Initiative, a non-profit that aims to bridge access to healthcare for girls and women from minority communities in India.
With her new journey at Oxford, Roshni hopes to collaborate with a diverse cohort of scholars from 24 different countries to make a significant impact in the field of global health.
[1] For more information about the opportunities available to students through Oberlin's Fellowships & Awards, please visit Oberlin College's Fellowships & Awards website.
Pursuing the esteemed Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship was inspired by Alli Roshni's liberal arts education at Oberlin College, where she saw an opportunity for personal growth, learning, and education-and-self-development in global health studies. After her award, Roshni plans to use this platform to promote personal-growth and learning through collaboration with a diverse cohort of scholars from 24 countries at the University of Oxford.
