Mirine received her Master’s in Public Health with field work in epidemiology from Florida International University. She is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, and currently in a research faculty position with Florida State University. Ms. Richey’s 20-year career includes work in hospitals and public health programs and her training experience includes leading the statewide implementation of SCRIPT® for Florida home visiting programs and has been a SCRIPT® trainer since 2014.

After over 20 years working in tobacco control and cessation, I understand the special needs of pregnant smokers and have been instrumental in developing protocols for cessation services specific to this population.  I have worked with the SCRIPT® program and behavioral health organizations, in the state of Mississippi, to help reduce tobacco use among pregnant smokers for 8 years and was in the first Train the Trainer workshop offered through SOPHE in 2012.  I have worked to help pregnant smokers quit and realize how hard it can be to get past an addiction and deal with pregnancy at the same time.

After over 20 years working in tobacco control and cessation, I understand the special needs of pregnant smokers and have been instrumental in developing protocols for cessation services specific to this population.  I have worked with the SCRIPT® program and behavioral health organizations, in the state of Mississippi, to help reduce tobacco use among pregnant smokers for 8 years and was in the first Train the Trainer workshop offered through SOPHE in 2012.  I have worked to help pregnant smokers quit and realize how hard it can be to get past an addiction and deal with pregnancy at the same time.

Sally Wagoner, RN,BSN,  is a certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist. Until recent retirement, she was employed by Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Hospital, Community Health & Wellness Department (Fremont, Michigan) where she provided SCRIPT counseling. She developed the tobacco cessation treatment and referral protocol for the OB Clinic, Triage and In Patient Units at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Hospital. 

Bishar Jenkins, Jr., MPP is an emerging health equity practitioner based in Washington, D.C. Bishar earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Rutgers University-New Brunswick and a Master of Public Policy degree from Brandeis University.  

Bishar is the Manager of Policy and Programs at the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), where he leads their federal advocacy efforts. Prior to SOPHE, Bishar served as a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Fellow. In this capacity, he served as a health policy staffer in the office of Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson and completed his second rotation in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of HIV Prevention. Bishar actively centers health equity and justice in his health policy efforts.   

Bishar proudly hails from Trenton, New Jersey.  

Dr. Smith’s work builds on education, human development, and public health science to study the contextual factors that promote or thwart health outcomes (particularly substance abuse, mental health, and sexual risk behavior) for young people. Previously a K-12 teacher, she often focuses on the school environment. While working for the WVU School of Public Health, she served as Director of Child & Adolescent Health initiatives for the Prevention Research Center. She is committed to public health advocacy and deeply believes it is the mission of public health professionals to continue to advocate for and champion equity and health for all.

Preston is a Black queer attorney, advocate, and activist with a focus on the power of Black people, young people, and queer, trans, and nonbinary people. With a decade of legal and policy experience, he is excited to be a part of The Trevor Project's lifesaving advocacy and government affairs team. Prior to Trevor, Preston served as the Director of Policy at URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. While there, he shaped state and federal strategies on reproductive health, rights, and justice in the South and Midwest, with issues on abortion access, comprehensive sexuality education,and LGBTQ+ health equities. He led reports on young people and voting and inclusive sexuality education for young people. Previously, he has worked at Advocates for Youth, the Center for Health and Gender Equity, Center for American Progress, and the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health. In addition, Preston has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center teaching LGBTQ Health Law & Policy and at American University Washington College of Law teaching Sexuality, Gender Identity, & the Law.

Alex Keuroghlian MD MPH is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Director of the Division of Education and Training at The Fenway Institute. He directs the National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center at The Fenway Institute, a HRSA BPHC-funded cooperative agreement to improve care for LGBTQIA+ people across the U.S., as well as the HRSA HAB-funded 2iS Coordinating Center for Technical Assistance. He established the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Gender Identity Program and is clerkship director for two senior electives in sexual and gender minority health at HMS, where he also co-directs the HMS Sexual and Gender Minority Health Equity Initiative, which leads longitudinal medical curriculum and faculty development in sexual and gender minority health.

Mason J. Dunn, JD, is the Deputy Director of Education and Training Programs and the Fenway Institute. Mason is an lawyer, and brings their legal and advocacy experience to the Institute. They have worked in the LGBTQ+ equality movement for over 15 years across the country. Prior to joining Fenway, Mason was Executive Director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition where they successfully advocated for the advancement of nonbinary gender markers on Massachusetts state ID's, participated in coalition to address restrictions in healthcare and gender marker changes on Massachusetts birth certificates, and worked to build the coalition which passed state-wide nondiscrimination protections in public accommodations for transgender and nonbinary people. In 2018, Mason co-chaired the historic Yes on 3 campaign, which successfully defended the Massachusetts' trans-inclusive public accommodation nondiscrimination law, in the nation's first ever state-wide vote on transgender rights. 

Martha L. Hall, PhD has served as director of Innovation for the College of Health Sciences at the University of Delaware since 2018. During her time as director she has developed the wearables for health research initiative based in the Innovation Health & Design Lab in the Tower at the STAR (Science, Technology, and Advanced Research) Campus.

The Innovation Health & Design Lab at UD works to improve health outcomes and quality of life through the design of wearables - including clothing, wearable technology, protective equipment and rehabilitative or medical devices. These products are created to address the broad spectrum of needs in various patient populations and highlight the importance of patient-centered design in health sciences.  The Lab’s projects include a variety of patient populations, including children with disabilities, patients recovering from stroke and professional athletes. In every case, the needs of the target patient population frame the research and design process. With an interdisciplinary team of researchers from occupational therapy, medical diagnostics, kinesiology, behavioral health, mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, prosthetics/orthotics design, and fashion, the Innovation Health & Design Lab provides a unique lens to innovate, prototype, and test new wearables for health. 

Dr. Hall is a Delaware native and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Fashion Design from the University of Delaware and received her PhD in Biomechanics and Movement Science from the University of Delaware. Dr. Hall holds numerous patents in wearable technology and is an expert in user-centered functional design. Prior to coming to UD as the Director of Innovation, Dr. Hall worked in the apparel industry as a childrenswear designer and as a fashion design instructor.

Zebley Diaz currently serves as SOPHE's Editorial & Communications manager where she oversees management of Health Education and Behavior. Previously, she managed the Federal Bar Association's legal journal The Federal Lawyer. Zebley received her Masters in Strategic Communication from the University of Maryland Global Campus. She completed her bachelor's in journalism from the University of Hawaii in 2016.

Deborah Stone-Walls joined the USAging team in September 2021 in the role of Chief, Programs and Services to oversee the wide spectrum of USAging initiatives. Prior to joining the staff of USAging Deborah served on the USAging Board of Directors from 2009 to 2018. In 2018 she was elected by her peers to serve as the Board President until her term ended in 2021. In her more than 30 years as a practitioner and administrator in the field of human services, Deborah served older adults, individuals of all ages with disabilities, and family caregivers with passion and a commitment to improving overall quality of life. From 2008 to 2021 she held the position of Executive on Aging for the Maui County Office on Aging/Aging and Disability Resource Center. During her 25 years living in Hawaii, Deborah embraced the multicultural richness of the islands that helped shape her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in both her personal and professional life.  

Monte Yazzie, MA, is the Injury Prevention Program Coordinator for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Monte is working to increase the health status and decrease unintentional injuries within the Community in Salt River. He is a Child Passenger Safety Instructor, Yoga and Tai Chi Instructor, and provides partnership and collaboration interventions as one of the leads for the Community Health and Wellness Summit Committee. Monte is working to build a program that promotes data driven, culturally appropriate interventions that strive for effectiveness and efficacy in an effort to provide immediate prevention measures that will benefit the present and future client needs.”

Dr. Joe received her doctoral degree from UC Berkeley and San Francisco and joined the faculty at UCLA prior to coming to University of Arizona. Her academic background includes nursing, public health, anthropology, and medical anthropology. While at UA, she held an adjunct faculty position in American Indian Studies as well as serving as the director of the College of Medicine’s Native American Research and Training Center. Her research activity has and continues to focus on health disparities and its impact on native population, including health consequences due to chronic diseases, disabilities, cancer, etc. She has served on a number of state, national, and international committees, including the National Institute of Medicine and Canada’s Institute for Aboriginal Peoples’ Health Research.

Self Management Resource Center, Professor Emerita at Stanford School of Medicine

Kate served as the Director of the Stanford Patient Education Research Center and Professor of Medicine in the Stanford School of Medicine. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Boston University, and her master's and doctorate of public health in health education at the University of California, Berkeley. She came to Stanford in 1979 while a graduate student at Cal to develop and research an educational program that emphasized self-help skills for people with arthritis. This program became the Arthritis Self-Help Course and was the prototype for the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, The Diabetes Self-Management Program, the Positive Self-Management Program for HIV, the Cancer: Thriving and Surviving Program, the Building Better Caregiver's Program, the Chronic Pain Self-Management Program, and others. She has authored several books and many articles about arthritis, chronic disease in general, health education, and behavioral science. She travels extensively at the invitation of organizations concerned with patient care and academic research. She lives in Mountain View, CA, with her 2 cats and a collection of Native American art.

R. Turner Goins is an endowed Professor at Western Carolina University in the College of Health and Human Sciences. She received her MS and PhD in gerontology from the University of Massachusetts-Boston and completed a National Institute of Aging’s post-doctoral research fellowship at Duke University’s Medical School. For the last 23 years, Dr. Goins’s research has focused on American Indian and Alaska Native aging- and health-related issues. Dr. Goins is a fellow at the Gerontological Society of America, past president of the Southern Gerontological Society, and in 2018 she was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Auckland in New Zealand where she spent time learning about aging-related issues among the Māori. 

Amy Michael is the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Arthritis Program Coordinator. She has brought the Walk with Ease Program to Minnesota. She is a Master Trainer for the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, the Chronic Pain Self-Management Program and for the National Diabetes Prevention Program.  She has worked at MDH since 2012 sometime was spent working in the Diabetes Program and in the Statewide Self-Improvement Partnership (SHIP) program as a Health Systems Coordinator.  She has an M.S in Education and is married with 3 adult children.

Dr. Kelly Bentley received a BED from Va Tech (1989) and her Master’s of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health (1996) and completed her Interdisciplinary Ph.D. at the University of New Brunswick. Kelly’s work has focused on women’s health, mothering, intimate partner violence (IPV), and health policy. She has over 24 years of experience in community health and has worked internationally, nationally, and at state and local levels. She is sought to speak about her research on mothers and IPV and is actively involved in violence prevention in the state and local community. Kelly has received numerous awards to include the prestigious Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Canada Graduate Scholarship Award. She has had over 25 grants funded by federal, state, and philanthropic organizations for community-level interventions, evaluation, and academic research.

Since 2011, Dr. Liburd has served as the associate director for minority health and health equity for CDC/ATSDR. In this capacity, she leads and supports a wide range of critical functions in the agency’s work in minority health, health equity, and women’s health. She plays a critical leadership role in determining the agency’s vision for health equity, ensuring a rigorous and evidence-based approach to the practice of health equity, and promoting the ethical practice of public health in vulnerable communities. Dr. Liburd has been instrumental in building capacity across CDC and in public health agencies to address the social determinants of health, and in identifying and widely disseminating intervention strategies that reduce racial and ethnic health disparities. She has skillfully executed innovative models of collaboration that have greatly expanded the reach, influence, and impact of the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) including the successful implementation of the CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program (CUPS) and the James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases Graduate Fellowship. In May 2020, she assumed the role of Chief Health Equity Officer for CDC’s COVID-19 Response which was the first time in the agency’s history that this role and function was added to the leadership of the Incident Management Structure during the activation of CDC’s Emergency Operations Center. In 2021, she was tasked by the CDC director with co-leading the development of the agency’s first health equity science and intervention strategy known as CORE – an acronym for C-cultivate comprehensive health equity science, O-optimize interventions, R-reinforce and expand robust partnerships, and E-enhance capacity and workforce diversity and inclusion. This inaugural health equity strategy catalyzed commitments from all CDC centers, institutes, and offices resulting in over 150 health equity goals. When fully implemented, CDC’s CORE Commitment to Health Equity can transform how public health is practiced and accelerate achieving health equity. These and other accomplishments represent her tireless commitment to improve minority health and achieve health equity for all people. 

Dr. Liburd has received honors for her leadership and management accomplishments. She was the 2021 recipient of the Harriet Hylton Barr Distinguished Alumni Award, one of the highest honors of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health. She always received the CDC Honor Award for Health Equity (Group Award) in recognition of her role as Chief Health Equity Officer and contributions of the entire unit in the COVID-19 Response. Among her other awards, Jackson State University presented her with the John Ruffin Award of Excellence in Minority Health and Health Disparities (2016), and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions and BlackDoctor.org named her one of the Top Blacks in Healthcare in 2014 for her outstanding and noteworthy achievements in the healthcare field. In 2010, the National REACH Coalition honored her with their Distinguished Service and Leadership Award, and in 2002, CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation presented her with their Excellence in Collaboration Award for her seminal role in developing local, national, and international partnerships.

Dr. Liburd holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, a master of public health in health education/health behavior from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master of arts in cultural anthropology, and a doctor of philosophy degree in medical anthropology from Emory University.

Roland J. Thorpe, Jr., Ph.D., MS, is a gerontologist and social epidemiologist with nationally-recognized expertise in minority aging, men’s health, and place-based disparities.

Dr. Roland J. Thorpe, Jr. joined the Office of the Provost in 2017 as a Provost’s Fellow. His Fellowship project involved a collaboration with the Offices of Faculty Affairs and Research to design skills training modules for undergraduate research and develop a mentoring program to train graduate students, postdoctoral students, and faculty in the art and science of mentoring undergraduate students. In 2018, Dr. Thorpe was tapped to lead the Provost’s Postdoctoral Diversity Fellowship Program where he has emerged as a key thought leader equipped to address concerns and challenges associated with the diversification of the academic workforce. As the inaugural Associate Vice Provost of Faculty Diversity, he will dedicate more time to advancing key initiatives around faculty diversity.

In his new role, Dr. Thorpe will work closely with Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Andrew Douglas and Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Katrina Caldwell to advance the Faculty Diversity Initiative (FDI). This includes providing infrastructure support for the Target of Opportunity Program and the Cluster Faculty Initiative, working with all diversity and inclusion deans and deans of faculty on campus to enhance support for faculty development and mentoring, and leading an expanded Provost Postdoctoral Diversity Fellowship Program.

Dr. Thorpe is a Professor in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society in the Bloomberg School of Public Health where he also serves as Deputy Director of the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research, and Co-Director of the Health Equity and Social Justice Concentration of the DrPH Program. He holds joint appointments in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology and the Department of Neurology in the School of Medicine, and the Department of Sociology in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

As a social epidemiologist and gerontologist, Dr. Thorpe's research focuses on how race, socioeconomic status, and segregation influence health and well-being for African Americans, particularly African American men. He is the recipient of numerous awards that recognize his commitment and valuable contributions to student and faculty mentoring, including the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Advising, Mentoring, and Teaching Recognition Award, the inaugural 2018 NHLBI OHD PRIDE Roland J. Thorpe, Jr. Mentoring Award, the 2020 JHBSPH Dean’s Award of Distinction in Faculty Mentoring, and the 2020 Minority Issues in Gerontology Outstanding Mentorship Award. Dr. Thorpe earned a bachelor’s in theoretical mathematics from Florida A&M University, a master’s in statistics, and a Ph.D. in clinical epidemiology with a graduate minor in gerontology from Purdue University.

Ms. Kai H. Young is the Senior Advisor on Strategy and Evaluation in the Office of Minority Health & Health Equity (OMHHE), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She leads the evaluation of the CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars (CUPS) program and provides technical oversight of evaluation projects within the office.  

Prior to joining the OMHHE, Ms. Young was a senior program evaluator and the project officer for the National Tuberculosis Indicators Project (NTIP) at the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE), the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. In this role, she led the development and implementation of NTIP, the national performance monitoring system for TB programs in the United States. Her work included the standardization of the national TB indicators across TB programs in the U.S., the establishment of the national performance targets, and enabling the use of the national surveillance data for routine monitoring and management of TB cooperative agreement recipients and ensuring patients’ standard of care in the United States. Through her work with the national indicators, Ms. Young helped strengthen the national TB surveillance system and ensured its data quality for program management and decision making. In addition to her role as the division’s lead and advisor on the national indicators, she played a key role in developing the formula for allocating resources to state and local grantees and implementing performance-based funding.
Ms. Young holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry with minors in health and social issues from the University of California at San Diego and a Master of Public Health in behavioral science and health education from the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University. 

Dr. Joe received her doctoral degree from UC Berkeley and San Francisco and joined the faculty at UCLA prior to coming to University of Arizona. Her academic background includes nursing, public health, anthropology, and medical anthropology. While at UA, she held an adjunct faculty position in American Indian Studies as well as serving as the director of the College of Medicine’s Native American Research and Training Center. Her research activity has and continues to focus on health disparities and its impact on native population, including health consequences due to chronic diseases, disabilities, cancer, etc. She has served on a number of state, national, and international committees, including the National Institute of Medicine and Canada’s Institute for Aboriginal Peoples’ Health Research.

Becky was born in the Territory of Alaska in King Cove, a fishing village of 700 people, located about 650 miles from anywhere. She lived in King Cove, happily subsisting on the plentiful Alaskan bounty over 40 years before moving to Washington State.

Becky is one of the creators of the Wisdom Warrior program, which was founded in 2010 through her work as a Tribal Specialist.

Working with the many tribal elders from many states across the nation has been a life’s dream and a great honor. Becky has increased her outreach to indigenous nations every year as Wisdom Warriors goes nationwide. Collaborating with tribes to implement Wisdom Warriors and share it throughout indigenous communities will always be one of her life’s greatest passions.

The Wisdom Warrior program is changing elders’ lives on a daily basis and she feels blessed to be one of the program’s creators. Embracing our Indigenous ways is a priority for our people, as we heal and become stronger in ways that honor our sovereignty.   

Ms. Roxanne Thomas (Dine’/Navajo & Numu/Paiute), serves as a Program Specialist II with the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona – Area Agency on Aging, Region 8 (ITCA-AAA).  She coordinates the following programs: A Matter of Balance, EnhanceFitness, Title III Advocacy, and assists with the Arizona Indian Council on Aging (AICOA) Advisory Board.  

 Ms. Thomas holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Arizona State University and a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University (MSPPM).  Prior to her employment with ITCA-AAA, she worked with the Indian Health Service (IHS) for six years providing an array of mental health services to children, adolescents, adults and families.  Ms. Thomas is passionate about improving the lifestyles and living conditions of urban and rural Native American populations.  She enjoys traveling, the company of her family and friends, and her role as a Mother to her wonderful son.

Leslie Tanoue is Title VI Director at ALU LIKE, Inc.  She has been the Title VI director since 2019 and with ALU LIKE, Inc. since 1999.

ALU LIKE, Inc. is a non-profit, Native Hawaiian serving organization whose mission is to assist Native Hawaiians who are committed to achieving their potential for themselves, their families, and communities.  We envision Hawaii, our special island home, as healthy, safe and productive, and guided by the shared values of all its people.

Leslie is currently a T-Trainer for the following Self-Management Resource Center Programs:  Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, Diabetes Self-Management Program, and Cancer Thrive and Survive

An Educational Consultant and Adjunct Faculty in Public Health for over 15 years who has conducted research and developed trainings in collaboration with National Networks of Public Health Institutes, de Beaumont Foundation, and Regional Public Health Training Centers to develop and improve leadership capacity in professional workforce in public health.  Currently contracts with the CDC to provide continuing education to employees in Leadership and other topics in Public Health.

Davondra Brown is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES®) who specializes in sexual wellness. She serves on the Board of Commissioners and the Division Board of Professional Development for the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, in addition to many other volunteer efforts. Mrs. Brown has earned a Bachelor’s in Philosophy, a Master’s in Education, and an advanced certificate of Innovative Technologies in Health Science Education.

Michele is a second-year Doctor of Public Health Leadership student at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health and has a dozen years’ experience in health education, with 9 years as an M/CHES. She has worked across industries in the health sector, and her organizational leadership experience ranges from the governmental sector, private industry (health insurance, healthcare), higher education, community, research and evaluation consulting, and non-profit philanthropy as an individual contributor, team member, and administrator. Michele has worked with the older adult population, youth, college students, and peer-to-peer as a mentor within organizations, often responsible for developing and implementing training for adult learners, leveraging the three academic years she has committed to as adjunct faculty in an undergraduate health education and promotion program. She has focused largely on non-infectious/chronic disease and obesity prevention at the policy, system, and environmental levels as well as issues of environmental justice (demolitions, lead poisoning, eviction prevention, food insecurity) with strategies that address racism across sectors in a health in all policies or whole government framework.

Victoria A. Williams, PhD, MPH, MEd, MCHES is a behavioral research scientist and instructional designer. She is a public health expert specializing in developing, implementing, and evaluating technology-based programs for diverse audiences. 

Alexis Williams is Team Lead for the Health Education and Promotion Team in the Translation, Health Education, and Evaluation Branch of the Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She manages a team charged with developing, disseminating, and evaluating science-based and culturally-relevant health education and behavior change marketing resources, strategies, and interventions with a focus on underserved populations. Since joining DDT in 2009, she has developed health promotion tools and resources and provided training and technical assistance to help strengthen the capacity of DDT partners to deliver effective diabetes management and type 2 diabetes prevention programs, particularly in the areas of health promotion, marketing, and health equity. 

Prior to joining CDC, Alexis spent 7 years managing the national dissemination of Body & Soul: A Celebration of Healthy Living and Eating for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Body & Soul helped African American churches develop healthy eating programs for their congregations.  She was also a Public Health Advisor for the National 5 A Day for Better Health Campaign at NCI.  Before working with NCI, she was Manager of Nutrition and Physical Activity Promotion for the National Home Office of the American Cancer Society, where she helped develop and disseminate cancer prevention programs focused on healthy eating, increased physical activity, and obesity prevention.

Alexis is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist and National Board of Medicine Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Mills College in Oakland, California, and a Master of Public Health in Behavioral Science and Health Education from Emory University in Atlanta. She also has a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Educational Technology from Walden University. A native of Chicago, IL, Alexis currently lives in the Atlanta area.

Dr. Nicolette Warren Powe is Assistant Professor of Public Health in the Department of Health Professions and the Department of Graduate Studies in Health & Rehabilitation Sciences at Youngstown State University. She received a DrPH in Health Education from the Loma Linda University, an MS in Health Promotion/Human Sciences from North Carolina Central University, and a BS in Community Health Education/Healthcare Ethics from Kent State University. Dr. Powe is a public health scientist whose primary interest is behavioral risk factors for chronic disease prevention. Dr. Powe’s research investigates racial/ethnic and sex differences in adherence to cardiometabolic self-management practices, specifically in young adults. Dr. Powe also studies applied health education theories to the implementation of health promotion programs and the dissemination of chronic disease program outcomes. 

Dr. Powe’s work has resulted in the publication of the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Minority National Organizations (MNO) Success Stories showcasing the health equity projects that worked towards closing the health disparity gap in at least one of the racial and ethnic minority groups. Dr. Powe serves on the Youngstown American Heart Association Board and the Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio Board. She is a member of The Links, Incorporated Youngstown Chapter. She was elected to the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) editorial board for Pedagogy in Health Promotion: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning journal.
 

Tricia Lenhart has spent over 20 years in the health care industry. After graduating from Baldwin-Wallace University with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology she became an award-winning pharmaceutical sales representative for various dermatology and podiatry companies. Currently, she is a registered pharmacy technician in the state of Ohio for Rite Aid Corporation. She is pursuing her Master of Public Health degree through the Consortium of Eastern Ohio.