Skip to main content
WVU Home
Would you like to search this site specifically, or all WVU websites?

Professor Daniel Brewster

dwb

Professor of "Sociology of Health and Medicine" course required for travel and Advisor for Global Medical Brigades and Global Dental Brigades: Panama in 2015, Nicaragua in 2016, 2018, and 2018, Honduras in 2019 and 2020, Ghana in 2019, and Greece in 2020, Panama 2023, Honduras 2024, Panama 2025, and Panama 2026

Hi. My name is Daniel Brewster and I am a professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. I serve as the advisor for both the Global Medical and Global Dental Brigades, respectively. These two organizations represent the international Global Brigades non-profit.

As your faculty advisor and professor, I am excited to share this experience with you.

I teach Sociology of Health and Medicine which is the course that you take that coincides with the brigade. I have served as the faculty advisor for both the Global Medical Brigades and Global Dental Brigades chapters since 2009. During that time, I have had the privilege of mentoring hundreds of students and accompanying them on ten international brigades, working alongside communities in resource-reduced regions of the world.

Our work abroad is deeply connected to what we explore in the classroom. In Sociology of Health and Medicine, we examine how social, cultural, economic, and political forces influence health and healthcare. My goal is to help you develop a broader understanding of the communities we serve, recognizing that health is shaped by far more than medicine alone. Whether you plan to pursue a career in healthcare or another profession entirely, I believe sociology provides an essential lens for understanding people, cultures, inequality, and our shared humanity.

Over the years, I have come to realize that these brigades are about much more than providing healthcare. They are opportunities to build meaningful relationships, learn from the resilience and strength of our partner communities, and grow through cultural humility and service. I have watched students challenge themselves and develop into compassionate leaders committed to making a difference.

Without question, serving as the advisor for these organizations has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. There is nothing more rewarding than working side-by-side with some of West Virginia University's brightest and hardest-working students. The friendships, experiences, and lessons I have gained through these ten brigades have profoundly shaped both my life and my teaching, and I look forward to sharing that journey with each new group of Brigaders.