This is the 96th article in Bears Doing Big Things, a weekly column celebrating the stories of notable M-A alumni.
Michael Farzi ’11 is an executive officer at the World Health Organization, supporting the Health Emergencies Program in response to global crises and humanitarian emergencies. “I love my job because it gives me the ability to indirectly help others across the world,” he said.
At M-A, Farzi played water polo during his freshman and sophomore years and participated in theater during his junior and senior years. He acted in M-A’s production of Pride and Prejudice and served as a student director for The Rimers at Eldridge. “I preferred the more artistic route in high school and liked the community I made in theater,” he said.
Farzi also loved junior history class with John Florio. “He was a very engaging teacher and always kept our class super high-spirited,” he said.
Following his time at M-A, Farzi attended George Washington University, where he studied international affairs with a focus on global health. Farzi also earned his master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University.
“I am half Iranian, so I’ve been around different cultures growing up, which led me to be interested in different aspects of the world,” Farzi added.
“I got some really great internships and work experience during my time in college that helped direct my later endeavors,” he said. “I did an internship practicum in Guinea, West Africa, right after a big Ebola epidemic there, so we did infection prevention control. It was really cool to get field experience, be on the front lines, and see how the health system works in another country.”
After completing his master’s degree, he worked as a contractor for the World Health Organization, supporting the OpenWHO platform by developing training materials, supporting emergency response courses, and working with health partners around the world.
Farzi also served in the Peace Corps in Botswana, where he supported HIV prevention efforts by helping local health officials plan HIV programs. “I really enjoy getting to travel around the world for my job because I get to meet so many interesting people,” he said. “Being able to meet people and connect with them through the lens of work is a very special opportunity. I get to interact with people in ways I wouldn’t if I were just there for a vacation.”
After his time in the Peace Corps, Farzi worked at the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, as a public health advisor focused on COVID-19.
Farzi currently works as an executive officer for the health emergencies program at the World Health Organization. “As an executive officer, I support the whole program and sort of act like a junior chief of staff,” he explained. “We help lead the response to major disease outbreaks throughout the world.”
“I love that my job is a unique way to make a real impact,” he said. “It’s a challenging time right now as our organization is having to restructure due to funding cuts.”
Farzi’s advice for current M-A students: “Try to find something you are really interested in and passionate about, and then try to find people within that realm. Talk to them, and get a sense of how to pursue it to build career experience.”
To those interested in working in public health: “Currently, there are a lot fewer jobs in the world of public health, so looking at jobs in local government agencies and finding those smaller opportunities wherever you see them in your community is very important.”
