UW’s Tim Robinson Receives Fulbright Specialist Award to Work in Zambia

A University of Wyoming professor will spend April at the University of Zambia School of Medicine to help that country with its human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic.

Tim Robinson, a professor in the UW Department of Mathematics and Statistics, received notice from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board that he would be placed on the Fulbright Specialist Program roster for a tenure of four years back in 2021.

From April 1-30, Robinson will be at the University of Zambia School of Medicine to complete a project that aims to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities both in the U.S. and overseas through a variety of educational and training activities within public and global health. Robinson, who has a background in medicine, served as director of the Wyoming-WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) Medical Education Program from August 2013-June 2021.

“I think every scholar hopes that they can use their expertise to positively impact society. Biostatistics training and data science expertise are crucial resources for addressing Zambia’s HIV epidemic (nearly 12 percent of Zambian adults affected by HIV) because these skills enable rigorous data analysis, accurate interpretations of complex health data and guiding evidence-based interventions and policies,” Robinson says. “It’s well known that there is a dearth of biostatistics and data science support in low- and middle-income countries such as Zambia. To have an opportunity to use my data analytics background to help build sustainable related expertise in Zambia for impactful HIV research, intervention and policy development is incredibly fulfilling on both personal and professional levels.”

Robinson is one of more than 400 U.S. citizens who share expertise with host institutions abroad through the Fulbright Specialist Program each year. Recipients of Fulbright Specialist awards are selected based on academic and professional achievement; demonstrated leadership in their field; and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and abroad.

During his stay, Robinson says his work will have three primary objectives.

-- Develop and provide a four-week workshop focusing on medical research methods for students and research faculty across all specialties at the University of Zambia School of Medicine. The training will focus on study design, critical appraisal of research articles and common data analytic methods utilized in biomedical and public health research.

-- Provide statistical consultation and mentorship for University of Zambia School of Medicine faculty and students who are pursuing grant opportunities and scientific publications. Granting agency targets include the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, the World Bank, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

-- Co-develop a biostatistics and data science curriculum for supporting the University of Zambia School of Medicine, Stellenbosch University and Zambia National Public Health Institute faculty, students and other investigators.

The Fulbright Specialist Program roster lasts for three years, but he was given an extra year due to the COVID pandemic, Robinson says. During this time, various institutions from around the world offer requests for proposals (RFPs). Robinson responded to the RFP from the University of Zambia School of Medicine and was selected.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.

Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbright Specialists address critical global issues in all disciplines, while building relationships, knowledge and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 60 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize; 88 who have received the Pulitzer Prize; and 39 who have served as a head of state or government.

For more information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State, go to http://eca.state.gov/fulbright, call the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Press Office at (202) 632-6452, or e-mail ECA-Press@state.gov.