May 6, 2011 - Law Center students have been named Albert Schweitzer Fellows and will work with local attorneys during the coming year to teach underserved local high school students about health issues and their legal health rights. Andrea Penedo and Ron Sung, both 2Ls, are among approximately 260 other 2011-12 Schweitzer Fellows across the country who will be developing and carrying out health related service projects.
Only two years old, the Houston-Galveston Schweitzer Fellows Program is the newest of the 11 Schweitzer sites in the U.S. It provides service opportunities and support for graduate students in health-related fields certified to practice upon graduation. It was initiated by Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston and is a collaboration of area academic institutions and nonprofit service agencies. Each year, about one-third of applicants are awarded the competitive Schweitzer fellowships.
Founded in the U.S. in 1940, The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship was created to support Dr. Schweitzer's medical work in Africa during World War II. Since Schweitzer's death in 1965, the fellowship has continued to provide direct assistance to the Schweitzer Hospital in Lambarene, Gabon, and, more recently in 1992, to underserved communities within the U.S.
