By Bianca Blati, Foundation & Alumni Relations

Raluca Radu found her true calling when she learned about the critical intersection of health and climate change from a nursing perspective. The Douglas College Nursing grad began exploring this largely unexplored territory, and achieved her first milestone when she developed a case study on the health impacts of wildfires.

Today, Raluca champions the integration of climate change into nursing education and practice around the world. Her work, which includes developing educational materials and advocating for health equity – a state in which everyone has a fair opportunity to meet their health potential – aims to prepare future health care professionals for the challenges posed by climate change.  

Since graduating from Douglas, Raluca has worked in distinct roles in the field and taught in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia, where she also obtained her master’s degree with the support of a Douglas College Alumni Bursary. She has taken part in national and international health education projects related to climate change and has worked as a climate and health educator with Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Along with other advisors at MSF, Raluca provided strategic guidance and support to MSF entities on climate change and planetary health literacy. Moreover, she supported the entire organization – including more than 60,000 staff – as it worked toward building capacity on the health impacts of climate change and on local projects to adopt mitigation solutions. In addition to her full-time role, Raluca delivers presentations across Canada on how climate change-related events affect individual and community health.  

“My biggest reward is knowing that investing time in mentorship pays off by seeing that the next generations of leaders are the people who are going to achieve really incredible things and stand with others, not stand alone,” Raluca says.

Looking ahead, Raluca sees both challenges and opportunities. She is concerned about increasing chronic health conditions that result from poor air quality, extreme heat events and food insecurity, further exacerbated by the continued burning of fossil fuels that accelerate climate change. Still, she is hopeful that the growing opportunities around educating the current generation of students from all fields of practice on the direct relationship between climate change and health will help them understand how they can help create equitable and community-based climate solutions.  

“The increasing burden of climate change on global health systems calls for innovative solutions, interdisciplinary collaboration and a new generation of health care professionals equipped to face these challenges head on,” she says.

A Message of Hope and Action

Raluca says she wouldn’t have gotten to where she is without the support of an Alumni Bursary from the Douglas College Foundation, which allowed her to pursue graduate studies at UBC and expand her career.

“I received the Alumni Bursary during a time when I was still not fully financially independent. It was difficult to work and study at the same time,” Raluca says. “It was helpful, and I was grateful to Douglas, because they supported me even after graduation.”  

For donors and alumni, Raluca highlights the critical role of supporting students to pursue their dreams, especially in fields as critical and demanding as health care and environmental sustainability.

“The role of the donors is crucial because they are helping students get access to educational opportunities for ongoing growth and development. We live in a challenging time, and people get discouraged if they do not have access to grants and bursaries that can allow them to fulfill their dreams. It is important to be able to open the doors for people and let them contribute to society’s greatest needs.” 

For Raluca, the journey from Douglas College to the global stage of health care and environmental activism is a testament to the power of education, the importance of nurturing passion and the impact one individual can make in creating a healthier, more sustainable world.  

“The opportunity is there for us to make sure that the current generation of students is receiving information about what is happening to the world and how they can make a difference,” she says.