Cozy Brents is the Operations Coordinator at Engineering World Health (EWH), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that goes into low resource communities to improve global health. She's a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and the lead for the UNSW GIE FEAS Program in 2023!
EWH is a dynamic global organization serving engineering students, healthcare professionals, and, most importantly, communities and patients in need around the world. Our mission is to inspire, educate, and empower the biomedical engineering community to improve healthcare delivery around the world. Through our institute programs, chapters, engineering education initiatives, virtual programs and cultural exchanges we aim to spread awareness of challenges that exist in low-resource healthcare systems.
I oversee our global network of EWH Chapters, our K-12 education initiatives and our virtual programming offerings. Our Chapters are clubs, often run through universities, that further the mission of EWH by doing outreach in their communities, hosting speakers and events and attending our summer institutes. Managing all of these programs keeps me very busy but I really enjoy working with students at all levels who have an interest in and a passion for science, engineering and improving global health!
I’m from North Carolina originally and studied at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. My background is in non-profit development and administration, and I joined EWH in 2022. I was interested in working with EWH because I believe healthcare is a human right and was interested in being a part of an organization with the goal of expanding access to healthcare globally.
It is very rewarding getting to work with students of all ages who are interested in making the world a better place! I really enjoy getting to meet with students and hear all their ideas about the future of engineering. It fills me with a lot of optimism!
Each year, returning EWH Institute alumni share that they are amazed by how quickly the equipment they repair is put into action in our partner hospitals. There is a real and present need for increased access to life-saving equipment in low-resource settings and I am proud of the work that EWH does to bring equipment back into use. Our approach, to create holistic and collaborative opportunities for students and the communities we serve, is innovative and long-term solution based.
I’m excited to see all the innovative solutions that our UNSW GIE FEAS cohort come up with during this program! Every year I am more and more blown away by the creativity our virtual program participants exhibit when designing their solutions to real-world challenges faced in the hospitals that EWH works with.
Pursue your passions confidently and fearlessly - we need to bridge the gap for women in STEM! I am so proud to work on an all-women team at EWH. Also, remember that you can learn something new from everyone you meet, so ask questions and be kind!
Find out more about Engineering World Health and the UNSW GIE FEAS Program.
