I completed two global related courses to meet the Global requirement of the Grand Challenge program. Both courses not only presented material related to our worldwide community, but each also related closely with my focus area of health.

The first course I took was ASB 300: Food and Culture. This course discussed the complex social, economical, and environmental issues of food in our global community. Different cultural considerations must be taken into account when understanding how food integrates into our daily lives.

The second course I completed towards the global component was NTR 535: Nutrigenomics. This masters level course discussed the biological and genetic considerations of nutrition. To "engineer better medicines" in a society now plagued by diseases like obesity and diabetes, it is absolutely critical that we understand how our heritage, ancestry, and genetics relate to our overall health. In order to effectively do this, we must look at human health from a global scope.