Ganga Moorthy
“Growing up in a tightknit, small town in Oklahoma, I was nervous about finding my place in a large state school – I didn’t know if I could find the same kind of community, mentorship, and friendships I had grown accustomed to. Little did I know when I sat down that day more than 10 years ago that my time at OU would bring me a community like no other."
I still remember walking into my chemistry lecture my freshman year and sitting down in a lecture hall with more classmates in one class than I had in my whole high school. Growing up in a tightknit, small town in Oklahoma, I was nervous about finding my place in a large state school—I didn’t know if I could find the same kind of community, mentorship, and friendships I had grown accustomed to. Little did I know when I sat down that day more than 10 years ago that my time at OU would bring me a community like no other.
My academic experience was vibrant—I received a strong foundation in science and had the freedom to explore the humanities. I thrived academically with support from my professors. If you were to look at my transcript, you’d see pathogenic microbiology laboratory, a course on water technologies for emerging regions, and an interdisciplinary seminar on political theory. I spent some summers working in Washington, D.C., and others identifying oxidase pathways in marine bacteria. The ability to engage in a diverse curriculum broadened my horizons; I was able to see the world from Norman, Oklahoma.
I grew outside of the classroom through campus organizations. I planned a leadership conference for high school juniors, provided pro-bono consultations for local nonprofits, volunteered for political campaigns, and led a team to Ghana to install water sanitization devices in homes and train community health workers. My extracurricular activities provided me with opportunities to meet global leaders, world-renowned historians, activists, scientists, and journalists. I became a confident leader through these experiences and the investment mentors and advisors made in me. I also had a lot of fun! I spent my Saturdays cheering on the Sooners in Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, and I ate a lot of Pizza Shuttle. My circle of friends was diverse and included incredible people from all walks of life. Today, some of my closest friends are men and women I met at OU and they continue to shape, challenge, and encourage me.
After graduation, I continued my education at the OU College of Medicine. My medical education was second-to-none—I learned both the scientific and social aspects of health. I learned how to improve the health of a population and how to diagnose disease. I am now a faculty member in pediatric infectious diseases and global health at Duke University Medical Center. Though the community I call home is now in North Carolina, I use what I learned at OU every day and many of my co-workers are also OU alumni. OU shaped who I strive to be: a well-rounded person, an empathetic physician, a loyal friend, and a human working to make our world a better place for children.
I hope you will choose the University of Oklahoma as the next step in your journey. You will be taught by and grow alongside passionate individuals who inspire others with their words and actions. You will leave forever changed and committed wholeheartedly to being an engaged and passionate citizen of the world. Community has been the cornerstone to my success, and I am certain that you will find your own community at OU.
Boomer,
Ganga Moorthy, MD, MSc-GH
B.S. in Microbiology, 2012
Doctor of Medicine, 2016
