Building Healthier Systems for People and the Planet: Maanasi Marathe '26

Bloomberg School of Public Health & Carey Business School – Dual MPH/MBA candidate

May 2026

President, Indian Student Association at Carey Business School (2024 – 2025)

Vice President Events, Full-Time MBA Association at Carey Business School (2025 – 2026)

I chose Johns Hopkins for the breadth and depth it offers in both public health and business. With its strong healthcare ecosystem and focus on impact-driven work, I was drawn to the opportunity to learn at the intersection of business, health, and systems thinking. I believe that building efficient, equitable systems is essential to improving healthcare—and Hopkins is the right place to develop the tools to do that.

While my first year focused on business school coursework, I’m excited to immerse myself in public health this coming year. My background in zoology and early fieldwork in wildlife reserves instilled in me a deep respect for ecosystems. I’m passionate about applying that systems mindset to healthcare—bridging science, operations, and sustainability to improve both human and environmental well-being.

After graduation, I hope to build a career in healthcare strategy and innovation—working at the intersection of environmental sustainability and care delivery, whether through consulting, startups, or health systems. I want to help drive systemic change using data-informed and community-centered approaches.

Hopkins has helped me strengthen both systems thinking and people-centered leadership. I’ve learned to navigate complexity—whether it’s aligning stakeholders across clinical teams or conducting market research for a startup. I’m also building lasting skills in clear communication, collaborative leadership, and using data to inform meaningful action, especially across health, business, and environmental contexts.

In Term 4, I led a field project with a regional health system to redesign the weight management program pathways. It gave me firsthand insight into care delivery challenges—particularly how fragmented communication between departments can impact patient experience and outcomes. Our team worked closely with clinical and operational stakeholders to map existing workflows and identify opportunities for a more coordinated, patient-centered approach. It taught me the value of cross-functional collaboration and reinforced my interest in building more integrated healthcare systems.

In addition to professional engagements,  I’ve focused on creating inclusive, welcoming spaces that foster connection and cultural exchange through organizing community potlucks and a Holi celebration in spring. This role has strengthened my leadership and event management skills—but more importantly, it’s deepened my appreciation for the role of community-building in both personal and professional environments.

Yes—Dr. Brian Schwartz’s Environmental Health course at BSPH left a profound impact on how I view public health. His sessions on systems thinking and environmental justice helped me better understand the complex interconnections between environmental degradation, human health, and equity. As someone with a background in zoology and a passion for conservation, I found his framing of energy, agriculture, and the built environment as key public health drivers both intellectually grounding and inspiring. It reaffirmed my commitment to working at the intersection of environmental sustainability and health systems.

At Carey, Professor Suntae Kim’s courses in organizational leadership offered a fresh and deeply thoughtful perspective on how meaning is created within institutions—especially under conditions of adversity. I’ve learned from him not just frameworks for mission-driven leadership, but also the importance of reflection—he often reminds us to take a moment to breathe before acting, which is a lesson I carry with me.