About me

Michael B. Clark (he/they) is a public health development professional with a deep commitment to social justice and community empowerment. Their academic and professional journey has been driven by a lifelong affiliation with the experiences of marginalized communities, particularly around issues of queer migration, harm reduction, and global health.

 

Michael's foray into academia and development began working with LGBTQI refugees in Uganda and Kenya to document barriers to health equity. This research, and the community-based work that it required, highlighted challenges these communities face crowdsourced fundraising. Recognizing the need for a more sustainable approach, Michael sought a solution that empowered queer migrants to address their most pressing problems while seeking to connect with donors in a way that valued transparency and accountability. This was the genesis for the Refugee Coalition of East Africa (RefCEA), an umbrella organization that brought together 24 queer refugee groups to provide a unified approach to fundraising, economic empowerment, and strategic planning. Funded by a Fulbright research grant, Michael worked with members of the LGBTQI refugee community in Kenya to make RefCEA a reality. With a mechanism to provide monitoring and evaluation, RefCEA was able to make bigger asks from foundations and corporate donors, securing grants from Open Society, Lush Cosmetics, Gilead Pharmaceuticals, Elton John AIDS Foundation, among others. 

 

During his graduate studies at NYU, Michael joined HealthRight International, a global NGO focused on community-driven capacity building for local community health organizations, such as RefCEA. Working on the Development Team honed skills necessary to locate and secure larger grants and other sources of funding. Additionally, Michael conducted an extensive review of mental health interventions available for LGBTQI communities in Africa, highlighting opportunities for development and organizations open to partnerships. This report contributed to HealthRight’s comprehensive strategy for improving mental health among HIV & LGBTQI communities globally.

 

Today, Michael remains actively engaged in research and advocacy. They are currently finalizing their dissertation at the University of Pittsburgh, focusing on harm reduction and sex work. Their commitment to knowledge sharing is evident in their engaging college students in lectures on human rights, queer migration, and harm reduction. Michael also brings a wealth of experience from their diverse professional background, having served on the boards of numerous organizations, including Prevention Point Pittsburgh, Men of the Night Uganda, Fund for Education Abroad, and the HIV League Scholarship Fund, demonstrating their unwavering dedication to raising funds for organizations committed to social justice and community well-being.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Student) 

            University of Pittsburgh
            Graduate School of Public Health

            Behavioral and Community Health Sciences

 

2020 Master of Public Health 

            New York University
            School of Global Public Health
            Social and Behavioral Sciences

2017 Bachelor of Science (with honors)
             CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique &
                Interdisciplinary Studies
             at Hunter College
             Major: Public Health & Human Rights

 

 

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

2020 NYU Public Health "Social Justice Award"

2018 NYU Gallatin Global Human Rights Fellow

2018 American Indian Graduate Center Fellow

2018 HIV League Fellow

2017 Fulbright US Student Researcher (Kenya)

2016 Fund for Education Abroad Rainbow Scholar (Uganda)