Tarun Ramesh

University of Georgia

Tarun Ramesh, a third-year student at the University of Georgia, has a passion for using research to develop evidence-based policy solutions to address health care disparities. Further, he seeks to bridge the gap between policy research and community needs by bringing together individuals and organizations with diverse perspectives; developing practical, testable interventions; and making research and conversations surrounding health care more accessible. Through internships and research assistantships, Tarun has worked on multiple issues of health care access and quality, most recently focusing on the opioid crisis in the United States. He hopes that his future work will continue to shift the narrative surrounding addiction away from criminalization and toward disease prevention and treatment.

Jere Morehead
President
University of Georgia

Personal Statement

As an obstetrician, my grandmother dedicated her life to combating disparities in maternal mortality between rural and urban areas, treating sexual violence injuries, and advocating for women’s health. I grew up with her stories as an unapologetic activist and a distinguished physician. They catalyzed my own interest in health policy and advocacy, specifically centered on social determinants of health and their disparate impacts on vulnerable populations with addiction. In that vein, I have sought to bridge the gap between policy research and community needs by building diverse coalitions to reduce disparities in health care access. In Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, I have worked with the Roosevelt Institute to expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals with opioid use disorder, helping to deconstruct the criminalization of addiction. At the Center for American Progress, I highlighted the inadequacies in emergency medical care and the risks that future hospital closures pose to rural residents. These recommendations have been used by congressional campaigns and by hospital boards to emphasize the dangers of closure. Prioritizing community needs has shaped my own policy evaluation framework. I incorporate these narratives into policy analysis, placing the ultimate emphasis on the human cost of health care decisions.

Tarun Ramesh
Economics, Genetics: Class of 2021
written 2020

2020 Fellows Alphabetical by Institution

  • a
  • b
  • c
  • d
  • e
  • f
  • g
  • h
  • i
  • j
  • k
  • l
  • m
  • n
  • o
  • p
  • q
  • r
  • s
  • t
  • u
  • v
  • w
  • x
  • y
  • z
Alexander Kaye, U. of Central Florida Miyako Iwata, UC Berkeley M. Chiamaka Okonkwo, UNC Charlotte Noelia Michelle Flores González, Universidad de Monterrey Ashlyn Woods, University of Baltimore Greta Hacker, University of Central Arkansas Christian Coleman, University of Central Oklahoma Hailey Ettinger, University of Colorado Boulder Michael Hernández, University of Connecticut Claire Sullivan, University of Dayton Maggie Nelson, University of Delaware Tarun Ramesh, University of Georgia Gregoria Uroza, University of Houston-Downtown Wasan Kumar, University of Illinois at Chicago Kaitlyn Meyr, University of Kentucky Ana Benitez, University of La Verne Amanda Gardner, University of Maine at Augusta Stephanie Turcios, University of Mary Washington Nihira Mugamba, University of Maryland, Baltimore County(UMBC) Maggie Sullivan, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Danelia Ramirez Aguilar, University of Massachusetts Lowell Jendayi London, University of Miami Meredith Days, University of Michigan Lucy Grimshaw, University of Missouri – St. Louis Kortney Sims, University of Montana Dinesh Karki, University of Nebraska Omaha Alexandra Vergara, University of New Hampshire Keyri Ambrocio, University of New Haven Aryelle Jacobsen, University of North Carolina Asheville Katherine Torres, University of North Georgia Yarik Molina, University of North Texas at Dallas Cole Passick, University of Northern Iowa Evan McKenna, University of Notre Dame Justin Norris, University of Oklahoma Nisha Sridhar, University of Oregon Oluwatomisin Oyedele, University of Pennsylvania Stephanie Rose, University of Pittsburgh TJ Tann, University of Richmond Ana Trejo Aguilar, University of San Diego Evelyn Pedraza Fernandez, University of San Francisco Imani Sherrills, University of South Carolina Beaufort Patrick Mack, University of South Carolina Upstate Reylan Cook, University of South Carolina-Columbia - Columbia, SC Tyus Edmond, University of St Thomas Amber Heidenreich, University of Wisconsin - Superior Shehrose Charania, University of Wisconsin-Madison Tavyonia Davis, University of Wisconsin-Parkside Trenton Ebel, UW Green Bay
  • update-img-new

    Get updates on what's new in the Campus Compact Network