SARI PROGRAM FACULTY
We assembled a broadly representative group of 33 transdisciplinary experts to provide didactic content, mentorship, hands-on research experience in SIF, and program advisement. Check out the stellar group of program faculty below.
Leadership/Investigative Team
The Leadership/Investigative Team members are also Program Mentors and Course Faculty.
Bridgette Rice, PhD, MDiv, APRN, FAAN
MPI (Contact PI)
Associate Dean for Research and Innovation and Kreider Endowed Chair, Villanova University Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Nursing
Health equity, mixed methods, healthography, mental health, intervention development
Priscilla Okunji, PhD, CRNP, FNP-BC, FIMC
MPI
Professor, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Nursing Department, Howard University
Nursing
Cardiovascular and Diabetes Health Equity Research, Quantitative & Population Research, Health Informatics & Academic EHR
Kamila A. Alexander, PhD, MPH, RN
MPI
Associate Professor, Natalie and Wes Bush Rising Professorship, Director, PhD and Postdoctoral Programs, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health
Nursing and Public Health
Gender-Based Violence prevention and response, HIV prevention and response, Health Equity, SDOH, Mental Health, Women’s Health, qualitative and mixed methods
Margaret Brace, PhD
Co-I
Research Assistant Professor, Villanova University Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Biostatistics
Advanced statistical methods for SDOH research, statistical methods for Program evaluation, quantitative research design
Mentors
Foster Baah, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor, Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Nursing
Social determinants of cardiovascular health behavior, self-care, cardiometabolic disease and cardiovascular health disparities in marginalized groups
Linda Collins, PhD
Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Professor, Department of Biostatistics; Director, Center for Advancement and Dissemination of Intervention Optimization (CADIO), New York University
Psychology and Global Public Health
Intervention optimization; experimental design; implementation science; smoking cessation; HIV; prevention and treatment of substance use disorders
Nkechi Enwerem, PhD, RN
Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Nursing Department, Howard University
Nursing
Health assessment and pharmacology, research on health disparities among minorities and underprivileged populations, adolescents, maternal and child health
Dalmacio (Dennis) Flores, PhD, ACRN, FAAN
Associate Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Nursing
Parent-child communication; prevention of HIV/STI infection and negative mental health among sexual and gender diverse youth
Orlando Harris, PhD, FNP, MPH
Associate Professor, Department of Community Health Systems, University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing
Nursing and Public Health
Community-based participatory research, sexual and gender minorities, sexual violence (childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, and IPV)
Sara Jacoby, MPH, MSN, PhD, FAAN
Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Health University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Nursing and Public Health
Structural origins of racialized disparities in trauma and violence victimization (e.g. firearm injury prevention, community violence exposure)
Jane Jih, MD, MPH, MAS
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Co-Director, Multiethnic Health Equity Research Center, Co-Director, Asian American Research Center on Health, University of California, San Francisco
Medicine, Public Health and Applied Science
Health equity among multiethnic and linguistically diverse adults
Trace Kershaw, PhD
Department Chair and Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences); Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health, Yale School of Public Health
Public Health
Social and structural determinants of health; adolescence and emerging adulthood; intervention development
Yzette Lanier, PhD
Associate Professor, College of Nursing, New York University
Psychology, Nursing and Public Health
Health promotion and disease prevention in communities of color, HIV/STI and unintended pregnancy prevention, dyadic analysis, intervention development
Jennifer Wenzel, PhD, MS, BS, RN, CCM, FAAN
Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
Nursing
Cancer screening and treatment and chronic illness self-management practices; treatment decision-making; minority recruitment and decision-making related to clinical trials health services issues for patients and caregivers
Course Faculty
Jasmine Abrams, PhD
Research Scientist in Public Health, Presidential Research Fellow, Yale University School of Public Health
Psychology and Public Health
Intersectionality, maternal health, HIV prevention, global community health
Thomas V. Fungwe, PhD, CFS, FACN
Associate Dean, Research, Institutional Assessment and Operations, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Howard University
Nutritional Sciences
Precision nutrition and chronic diseases, with a particular emphasis on using nutrition to reduce health disparities.
Danielle Gadson, PhD
Associate Professor of Public Administration, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of Public Administration, Villanova University
Public Administration
Diversity, equity, and inclusion of public programs, medical sociology, racial justice, transportation and healthcare access
Janette E. Herbers, PhD
Associate Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Villanova University
Psychology
Persons experiencing homelessness and unstable housing, poverty, early childhood risk
Cordelia Obizoba, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Bowie State University
Nursing
Maternal and child health
Ana Santos Rutschman, SJD, LLM
Professor of Law, Charles Widger School of Law, Villanova University
Law
Health law, intellectual property, innovation in the life sciences and law and technology
Suzanne Smeltzer, EdD, RN, ANEF, FAAN
Consultant
Professor Emerita and Research Professor, Villanova University Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Nursing
Health promotion practices and services accessible and acceptable for people with disabilities, integration of disability content into the education and training of health care professionals
Daniel Jackson Smith, Ph.D., AGPCNP-BC, CNE
Assistant Professor, University of Buffalo School of Nursing, Co-Chair of the Global Nurses Climate Change Committee, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, 2023–2024 Faculty Fellow in Climate, Justice, & Sustainability, Villanova University Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Nursing
Climate change and health
Robin Stevens, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor of Communication, Associate Dean of Research, Director of the Health Equity & Media Lab, University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Communications and Public Health
Social media research, digital epidemiology, digital neighborhoods
Edward Wahesh, PhD
Associate Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of Education and Counseling, Villanova University
Education
Mental health, substance use, motivational interviewing, behavioral health practice, brief interventions
Guy M. Weissinger II PhD, MPhil, RN
Diane Foley Parrett Endowed Assistant Professor, Villanova University Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Nursing, Philosophy and Psychology
Suicide prevention, individual and family navigation of health systems, health care workforce
Devora Winkfield PhD, FNP-BC
Assistant Professor, Chair of Undergraduate and Graduate Nursing Program, Howard University, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Nursing Department
Nursing
Un- and under-insured populations, healthcare delivery, professional development
Advisory Board
Dawn Aycock, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAHA, FAAN
Board Chair
Professor, Georgia State University, Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions
Nursing
Cardiovascular intervention and stroke prevention, clinical trials
Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, PhD, MPH, CHES
Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health, Professor, Public Health and Community Medicine, Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Director and Founder, Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice, Director and Founder, MOTHER Lab, Tufts University School of Medicine
Public Health
Maternal health
Ijeoma Opara, PhD, LMSW, MPH
Associate Professor, Yale School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Social Work
Racism and racial identity, substance use and mental health, assets-based approaches to interventions
Schenita D. Randolph, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN
Associate Professor, Duke University School of Nursing
Nursing
HIV prevention and community-engaged interventions
Hudson Santos, PhD, RN
Dean, School of Nursing and Health Studies, Dolores J. Chambreau Endowed Chair in Nursing, Professor, University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies
Nursing
Epigenetic effects of SDOH, social genomics, early life adversity, perinatal and child health, Latinx communities, professional development
Course Faculty
Connie Ulrich, PhD, RN, FAAN
Lillian S. Brunner Chair in Medical and Surgical Nursing, Professor of Nursing, Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Nursing
Bioethics, emerging technologies and patient information, ethical conflicts of health care providers in clinical practice
Course Faculty
Joachim Voss, PhD, RN, ACRN, FAAN
Professor, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Charlotte Peck Lienemann & Alumni Distinguished Chair in Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing
Nursing
Fatigue in HIV and cancer, previously the first co-chair of diversity, equity and inclusion for Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing