Two South Texas College of Law Houston students — Kea Bell, 3L, and Muniba Khan, 3L — were named the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Houston Galveston’s first law student fellows.
For the 2026-27 academic year, Bell and Khan are demonstrating the role legal advocates play in advancing public health.
“The fellowship will allow me to work directly with underserved communities, which will deepen my understanding of the real-world challenges many individuals face when accessing health care and legal resources,” Bell said.
Khan added, “Being selected as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow means joining a community of individuals who are committed to service, leadership, and lasting impact. I am excited to learn from the experiences of those I serve while developing the skills to lead meaningful change.”
Bell and Khan have been friends since their first torts class in law school and share a commitment to improving community health through advocacy and service. Khan’s public health expertise and Bell’s passion for community outreach make them a strong team.
For their project, “TRACE — Transparency in Referral and Care Ecosystems,” Bell and Khan are developing a health care transparency and accountability initiative that helps marginalized Houston communities make more informed decisions about their care. The program aims to empower underserved Houstonians with practical knowledge about referral practices, while producing community-informed policy recommendations to advance transparency and accountability in the Texas health care system.
“This program provides an opportunity to put the skills we’ve developed at STCL Houston into action and create a meaningful impact in our community,” Khan said.
The project focuses on how increasing consolidation within the health care industry can reduce competition, raise costs, and limit access to quality care. They advocate for greater transparency across the health care market, including insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, prescription drug pricing, and referral pathways.
Through a policy paper, they will examine how large health care conglomerates contribute to barriers to health care access and explore policy solutions that promote a more equitable and patient-centered health care system.
The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Houston Galveston is a nonprofit leadership and service-learning program for graduate and health-profession students. It addresses regional health disparities and social determinants of health by partnering students with local community agencies, clinics, and schools.
Fellows design and implement sustainable, direct-service or capacity-building projects to help underserved populations (such as the unhoused, refugees, low-income youth, and individuals with limited health care access). They complete hundreds of service hours, attend monthly peer-mentoring meetings, and work alongside field experts and academic mentors.
Bell and Khan explained that access to legal services and access to health care are deeply interconnected. Legal advocates help individuals understand, exercise, and protect their rights, whether those rights involve insurance coverage, pricing transparency, or navigating complex health care systems. When people lack the information or support to make informed health care decisions, it can affect their health outcomes and quality of life.
“As law students, we believe we can help advance greater visibility and accountability within health care systems,” Khan said. “Through our policy research and advocacy, we hope to highlight how increased transparency can empower patients, improve access to care, and support healthier communities.”
The fellowship has connected Bell and Khan with community leaders who helped shape their initiative and ensure it addresses real community needs.
At the end of the fellowship year, all fellows will present their projects at the annual Albert Schweitzer Fellowship celebration and gala. Bell and Khan will create a poster presentation highlighting their project’s goals, research, and outcomes.
“I hope this experience will remind me throughout my legal career that the people behind the legal issues are just as important as the laws themselves,” Bell said.
