This July, The Johns Hopkins University joined educators and innovators from around the globe at the Map the System Global Final 2025, hosted by the University of Oxford. Representing Hopkins were first-year students Akhila Rao and Aditi Singasani, whose project shed light on the ongoing public health consequences of systemic racism in Baltimore.
Their entry, “From Redlining to Respiratory Illness: The Battle to Breathe in South Baltimore,” traced the lasting impact of discriminatory housing and zoning practices on community health. By blending archival research with conversations from local residents and youth leaders, Rao and Singasani showed how structural inequities continue to manifest in respiratory illness and environmental injustice across the city.
A Global Network
For advisor Rickie Eatherly, the trip to Oxford was more than just an academic milestone—it was a powerful reminder of the scope and spirit of systems thinking.
“What struck me about Map the System is that it isn’t just a competition — it’s a global classroom,” Eatherly reflected. “With 134 students from 17 countries and over 50 universities, the event underscored how local challenges often resonate across borders, reminding us of the shared patterns that link communities worldwide.”
Beyond the presentations, students and educators participated in workshops on storytelling, systems leadership, and alumni reflections. They also shared moments of connection outside the competition, from a celebratory dinner beneath towering dinosaur skeletons at Oxford’s Natural History Museum to an impromptu afternoon with supportive Hopkins alumna and current Rhodes Scholar, Zandy Wong.
Student Reflections
For Rao and Singasani, the journey to Oxford began in their First-Year Seminar.
“We first learned about this issue in class,” they explained. “Since we were interested in exploring a public health topic for Map the System, we decided to research it further and discovered that it was connected to many overlapping systems. That complexity made it a strong option for our project. The more we learned [about respiratory wellness], the more we realized how central it was to people’s health and well-being in Baltimore.”
The team also credited Hopkins’ Life Design practices with shaping their process.
The team was able to connect and build professional networks by reaching out to experts in environmental health and local leaders. They gained deeper insights into the social determinants of health and broadened their perspective beyond traditional coursework into experiential opportunities.
The competition itself became a transformative experience, engaging the Life Design practice of experiencing more, and exposing the students’ participants to hidden global issues and diverse approaches to tackling complexity.
Their most impactful takeaway? The foundational necessity of systems thinking.
“If you don’t look at how issues are interconnected, you risk creating interventions that unintentionally continue the problem,” they reflected. “This experience reinforced how important it is to understand the bigger picture so that your work can help shift systems instead of just treating symptoms.”
Advice for Future Participants
When asked what Aditi and Akila would share with other students pursuing the competition, encourage future Hopkins participants to approach Map the System with curiosity.
“View it as an opportunity to learn, not just as a competition,” they advised. “It’s a chance to apply concepts you’ve learned in class to real-world issues and to grow your perspective by exploring a complex problem in depth. Choose a topic you’re truly interested in—your genuine curiosity will make the process more meaningful.”
Curiosity is core to the Life Design philosophy in opening our perspectives and opportunities to see where our work and grow and shift our careers and impact.
Carrying the Spirit Forward
For Eatherly, seeing students thrive in this environment underscored Hopkins’ commitment to cultivating leaders who engage deeply with the world around them.
“As an educator, it was deeply rewarding to witness Akhila and Aditi bring the spirit of Hopkins to this global stage: curious, thoughtful, and committed to making knowledge matter. I left Oxford reminded that our role is not only to teach but to create spaces where students can test their voices, engage with the world, and discover their potential as leaders and changemakers.”
Hopkins’ debut at the Map the System Global Final in Oxford UK highlights not only the brilliance of its students but also the power of systems thinking to connect important issues with global recognition.
