News and Events

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News & Events

Photo of Bethlehem (Betty) Sisay Tefera

Master Scholar

University of Toronto, Addis Ababa University

Photo of Emmanuella Nana Debreh Twumwaa Akowuah

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Toronto

Photo of Marci Rose

, MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.)

TAAAC Toronto Director University of Toronto

University of Toronto, Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration

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Bethlehem (Betty) Sisay Tefera

Master Scholar

University of Toronto

My time as a Mastercard Foundation scholar at the University of Toronto has truly been a transformative experience.

As a medical doctor from Ethiopia, I have gained a new perspective on healthcare and the ways in which it is viewed around the world. In Canada, I have been inspired by the idea that healthcare is a right, not a privilege to be earned, and I now dream of bringing this ideology back to my home country.

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Emmanuella Nana Debreh Twumwaa Akowuah

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

One of the most enriching experiences was the opportunity to engage in a vibrant and diverse academic community.

The scholarship not only provided financial support but also opened doors to various academic and extracurricular activities that have enhanced my experience at the University. Networking opportunities with fellow scholars and professors allowed me to connect with leading experts in my discipline and gain insights into the latest developments in the field. These interactions were invaluable for both my academic and professional growth.

Profile

Marci Rose, MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.)

TAAAC Toronto Director University of Toronto

University of Toronto

Marci Rose completed a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy at The Ohio State University and her master’s at the University of Toronto. She began her OT career at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry in 1990 where she worked for 15 years.

In 2002, she became the OT in Chief, and then assumed a variety of different management positions at The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.  In 2005, Marci became the Administrative Director for the Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Hospital, a role she held until 2012.  In 2012, she started the Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where she worked as the Administrative Director until formally joining TAAAC.

Her professional passion is for global health work in Ethiopia.  She has been an active participant in TAAAC since 2010, first as the TAAAC-OT co-lead, then as the Program Manager and now as the Toronto Director for TAAAC. She has been to Ethiopia on many occasions including as a consultant in the Biaber Project, a 3-year Grand Challenge Canada grant. Marci is a Lecturer in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto and is the Ethiopian Lead for the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation at UofT.