Ginny Bowen, PhD ‘13, MHS ‘08
Graduation Year: 2013
Focus in Program: Reproductive, Perinatal, and Women’s Health
Current Position: Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, CDC
![Ginny Bowen](/sites/default/files/2021-04/Ginny%20Bowen.jpg)
What was your favorite academic experience?
Collecting my own dissertation data over the course of three trips to Ghana did more to improve my research ‘self-confidence’ and my post-doctoral marketability than most other experiences I had at Hopkins. It was wonderful to be a part of every phase of the research design, implementation and analysis. I hired and trained employees for the first time and entered my own data—by hand—more than once! That being said, a ‘favorite’ experience might be different than a ‘most valuable’ experience. Attending the 2011 International Conference of Family Planning in Senegal was probably one of my favorite academic experiences. It’s both an honor and a great learning experience to present your own work and get feedback from ‘colleagues’ from around the world. It was also amazing to finally meet the people whose work I had been reading in academic journals for years.
What was the topic of your thesis?
“Supply- and Demand-Side Factors Affecting Contraception and Abortion Decisions in Accra, Ghana”