A native of Durham, Renn Cutick may not have traveled far to start her college education, but she used her time at Duke as a springboard to explore the world. A psychology and global health major, she was part of a DGHI Student Research Training (SRT) team that spent eight weeks during summer 2025 in Delhi, India, where she and her teammates worked with a community organization to support the mental health of orphaned and separated children. She returned to India in December 2025 to complete additional research for her senior thesis, which explored the impact of childhood trauma on development and mental health outcomes.
Cutick, whose long list of Duke activities includes studying Russian language and dancing in a bollywood/hip hop group, says her global health classes gave her a lens on the systemic factors influencing physical and mental health. “I have a strong interest in developmental psychology, and global health has provided a way to examine childhood development from a cross-cultural perspective,” she says. She plans to pursue graduate studies in global mental health or epidemiology.
But Cutick’s next step is one that was also influenced by her experiences in global health. After graduation, she will join the Peace Corps, where she will work as a health extension volunteer in Botswana supporting HIV prevention and treatment campaigns.
“Part of what I enjoyed so much about my India experiences was the chance to live and work internationally,” she says. “Feeling so immersed in another culture made it easier to create strong relationships … and allowed me to connect to the work in a way that I wouldn’t have from afar.”
In a few words, how would you describe your experience in global health at Duke?
My DGHI experience centered around global mental health research with experiences in community-based NGO intervention.
What was your favorite memory from your global health studies?
I loved my time as a member of the 2025 SRT India team. We had the privilege of building on a long-lasting partnership with Udayan Care; a Delhi based NGO serving orphaned and separated children. We conducted mental health screenings, led life skills workshops on emotional coping and career readiness, and learned about NGO innerworkings. I became incredibly close with my cohort and had a blast outside of work exploring Delhi and the surrounding region with trips to Rishikesh and the Taj Mahal. I built on our summer work to form my senior thesis and returned to Delhi last December to conduct further research with Udayan.
Cutick, middle left, with Duke SRT...
Is there a lesson you’ve learned from your global health experience that you will carry with you?
DGHI emphasizes the importance of forming long-lasting relationships built on trust and mutual respect. In an ever-changing global health landscape, this is something that remains within our control and vitally important both in the way I hope to conduct further community based global health research and interventions, but also in the way I build personal connections and friendships.
As you graduate, is there something for which you’re particularly grateful?
Whether furthering passions for global mental health research, epidemiology, and developmental psychology, volunteering with people from many different backgrounds, or traveling and exploring new hobbies like Bollywood dance with my closest friends, Duke has introduced me to so many people, places, and activities that make me feel whole.
