On a typical day this summer, Denise Rose ’25 visits with residents of indigenous communities in Kotagiri, India, talking about their mental health concerns and the resources available to them.

“I plan to pursue a master’s of public health degree, so this hands-on experience and research is great preparation for future projects,” said Rose, a biology and society major in the College of Arts & Sciences. “The opportunity to learn and help bridge the gap between biomedicine and traditional healing is interesting to me, especially given the ongoing debate within the communities about the effectiveness of traditional healing.”

Rose received a Serve in Place Grant from the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement and is working with the Cornell-Keystone Nilgiris Field Learning Summer Program. Created in 2015, the Nilgiris Field Learning Program (NFLP) is a partnership between the Keystone Foundation (an Indian non-governmental organization) and Cornell. It connects Cornell faculty and students with practitioners and community members in southern India to explore issues of sustainability, conservation, livelihoods and education.

Read the full story about A&S students receiving Serve in Place grants on the College of Arts & Sciences website.