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Spring Into The Equity & Engagement Café 2024!

The Spring 2024 Equity & Engagement Café, hosted by the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, will feature brief presentations from Nashville health equity leaders and interactive networking activities developed to foster community-engaged collaboration.

Calling all community leaders, advocates, faculty, staff and students who champion the elimination of health disparities to join us!

Read more about our innovation speakers and register, below!

REBECCA SELOVE, PHD

Dr. Selove's commitment to community is evident in her ongoing projects, which aim to bridge the gap between academic research and every-day-life application, thereby making a tangible difference in the lives of those affected by health disparities.Through her leadership as Director of the Center for Prevention Research at Tennessee State University, Dr. Selove demonstrates that community-engaged research is not just about conducting studies; it's about creating a collaborative ecosystem where everyone, from students to community members, plays a crucial role in advancing health equity. Read more...

CHRISTOPHER 'KITT' CARPENTER, PHD

As Director of the Center for Research on Inequality and Health, Dr. Carpenter advances a vision that health equity is not just a lofty ideal but a tangible goal that, when achieved, promises a healthier, more vibrant society for all. Carpenter's research vividly illustrates how public policy can serve as a powerful lever in promoting healthy behaviors, preventing illness, and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status, has equal access to health services. From his exploration of the impacts of public health policies on risky and preventive health behaviors to his groundbreaking studies on LGBTQ+ issues in economics and demography, Carpenter’s work is a testament to the profound influence of informed, compassionate policymaking on public health. Read more...

Register Here!

Embracing Light: Finding God in Alzheimer's

Community advocates fellowship with one another between panel discussions

The Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center hosted its 2nd Annual Finding God in Alzheimer's conference on February 28, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. At the core of this program is the belief, as articulated by Pam Cowley, Public Health Manager at the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, that "spirituality has been shown to positively affect feelings of hope, self-esteem, cognition, maintaining physical functioning longer and handling adversity." Cowley underlines the holistic approach needed in addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by Alzheimer's disease. Read more ...

Panel leaders preparing for discussions

Inspiring the Next Generation of Health Equity Practitioners: The Black Girls in S.T.E.A.M Summit

Keynote Speaker & S.T.E.A.M. Children's Author, Creea Shannon

On March 2, 2024, Meharry Medical College, in partnership with the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, Bridges to Success, the Urban League Guild and Bank of America, hosted its 2nd Annual Black Girls in S.T.E.A.M. Summit. The experiential. learning day aimed to nurture and inspire the next generation of women leaders in science, technology, engineering, arts and medicine. Creea Shannon, born and raised in Nashville, was the keynote speaker.

As a second-year Ph.D. student specializing in Biomedical Informatics at Vanderbilt University, Shannon not only showcased her exceptional academic and professional achievements but also her passionate advocacy for S.T.E.A.M. education and equity.

The Summit offered immersive experiences to high school & undergraduate young women through a simulation lab, a physics demonstration and panel discussions designed to peak curiosity, confidence and enthusiasm. Parents shared with other parents in their own break-out sessions facilitated by education experts who discussed multiple pathways to college and medical school.