Monrovia, Liberia – The United Methodist University (UMU) has named Dr. Deborah Rose, a distinguished epidemiologist and global health advocate as the keynote speaker for its 21st Commencement Convocation on March 31.
By D Franklin Doloquee / Nimba County
Dr. Rose brings decades of expertise in public health and sustainable development to the platform.
A former epidemiologist with the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Hyattsville, Maryland, she now leads the Helping Africa Foundation.
The nonprofit foundation focuses on enhancing healthcare, education and social welfare in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Through her foundation, Dr. Rose has partnered with organizations in Ghana and the U.S. to build computer-based learning centers aligned with sustainable development goals.
These initiatives deliver the West African junior high school curriculum via innovative, locally driven IT solutions. She has also supported affordable housing projects in West Africa, modeled on U.S. systems and collaborated with The Yamoransa Model to promote STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) skills for students.
Dr. Rose’s academic credentials include visiting scholar roles at Harvard University’s FXB Center for Health and Human Rights (2015–2023), teaching positions at Yale University School of Nursing and School of Medicine and faculty service at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
A founding member of the Yale Alumni Service Corps, she has led international service missions worldwide.
Her accolades include an honorary Doctorate in Education from the University of Cape Coast in 2023. She currently serves as President of the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation, trustee and treasurer of the Jonathan Edwards Trust and advisor to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
.UMU Interim Management Team Chairperson Cllr. Medina A. Wesseh said Dr. Rose’s address will inspire graduates to pursue service, innovation and leadership amid global and local challenges.
Meanwhile, the ceremony will gather hundreds of graduates, faculty and guests as UMU marks another milestone in delivering values-driven education in Liberia.
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