UMass Boston Alumnus Receives Fulbright to Study High Infant Mortality Rates in India

(Boston, MA) UMass Boston graduate Tim Menz ’06, a pre-med student determined to champion children’s rights, was recently awarded a Fulbright grant to work alongside doctors seeking to improve the high infant mortality rate in India. Menz is UMass Boston’s fifth Fulbright winner in six years of competition.

In New Delhi, Menz will work with leading physicians to observe newborn care in rural and urban settings, evaluate hospital environments, and research the treatment of infants 28 weeks or younger. Menz will join Siddarth Ramji, head of the neonatology department at Maulana Azad Medical College, and participate in fieldwork with Santosh Bhargava, head of the pediatrics department at Sunder Lal Jain Hospital, to research the effects of the “Essential Newborn Care Program.”

“We are so proud of Tim and his accomplishments,” says Chancellor Michael Collins. “He is an extraordinary student and we look forward to following his career as he pursues admission to medical school.”

Menz was originally chosen as an alternate for the Fulbright Program in April. He heard he received a Fulbright three days before setting off for England to work in a pharmaceutical lab and volunteer in a nearby teaching hospital while finishing applications for medical school.

A student who once struggled with tuition bills and academic motivation, Menz became known at UMass Boston for his dedication to his studies and commitment to helping others. He studied biochemistry as a pre-med student, mentored his peers as a teaching assistant in the Biology Department, and served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer. Menz’s academic career was marked by membership in two national honor societies, a place on The National Dean’s List, and participation in UMass Boston’s Beacon Leadership program.

I want to pursue a livelihood in a profession of helping people,” says Menz, who took time off from his sophomore year to work as an ambulance driver and a waiter and raise money for tuition bills at UMass Amherst, where he was originally enrolled. While initially a tough time for Menz, he describes it as a terrific learning experience. “I learned that you need to go out and grab opportunities,” he says.

His work for Fallon Clinic left a significant impression on him. “I saw what elderly and people who were sick went through and it changed my life,” he says.

Menz transferred to UMass Boston for his junior year, but it wasn’t until the following summer that he began to flourish academically. “I decided to get more involved in UMass Boston and it made all the difference,” says Menz. “I fell in love with the school.”

He began to work with Rick Kesseli, professor of biology, as a laboratory and teaching assistant, became involved in the University Honors Program, and volunteered through the Urban Scholars Program, helping to develop the science interests of high school kids.

“I would not be where I am today without the help of UMass Boston faculty—they are genuinely concerned about your life and your success,” says Menz.

Menz is the youngest of five children and credits his brothers and sisters for his upbringing and for his motivation to work with children. “They did so much for me, and I want to do the same for others,” he says. “Children need a special kind of attention.”

While in India, Menz also wants to get involved in the community and plans on initiating an after-school wrestling program for kids.

“Tim’s interest in helping others has been one of the driving forces pushing him to pursue medicine as a career,” says faculty advisor Kesseli. “He looks at a situation and really thinks ‘How can I make this better?’”

Menz is one of five honors students who have won Fulbrights: His award was preceded by two in 2000 and two in 2002. In the last six years, the program has also produced a Marshall Scholar, two Marshall finalists, two Rhodes Scholarship semifinalists, and four Fulbright finalists, two of whom were also designated alternates.

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