Joanna Galaris 15G

Strategy Implementation & Resource Mobilization Advisor | Partners In Health  | Kigali, Rwanda

Joanna Galaris grew up in eight different countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, before moving to the United States for college. Her parents, both teachers, raised her with a deep appreciation for the histories and cultures of the regions she grew up in. They also encouraged her to dig into the why of any issue she witnessed—whether it be regional conflict, access to food, education, shelter, or health care. Galaris enrolled in the Master’s in Development Practice program at Emory because it promotes critical thinking and technical skills that help students become partners rather than experts to those denied resources around the world. After graduation, she became a global health corps fellow at Partners in Health in Rwanda, where she now serves as the adviser to the executive director. Galaris is inspired by the people she has met throughout her life who carry on traditions of sharing power and resources that protect and uplift the collective.