On April 7th, the Light Institute proudly launched our inaugural speaker series of the year with a special celebration: 30 years of Health and Culture Beyond the Western Paradigm and the PEN-3 Cultural Model, both developed by esteemed public health scholar Collins Airhihenbuwa, PhD, MPH. The event honored the enduring legacy of culturally-centered research and its transformative impact on public health.
The program opened with a welcome from Temitope “Temi” Ojo, PhD, MPH, Associate Director of the Light Institute, highlighting the Institute’s commitment to global health transformation through culturally grounded research frameworks. The session featured a keynote conversation between Juliet Iwelunmor, PhD, Director of the Light Institute, and Professor Airhihenbuwa, author of the celebrated book and creator of the PEN-3 Model.
In a deeply personal and reflective discussion, Professor Airhihenbuwa shared his journey from his cultural roots in Nigeria to his academic experiences in the United States. He emphasized the critical role of language, storytelling, and listening in reshaping public health practices to affirm rather than diminish cultural identity. He spoke passionately about how PEN-3 was born from the need to create new vehicles and paths when existing paradigms failed to honor community strengths and values.
Professor Airhihenbuwa challenged attendees to move beyond deficit narratives common in Western public health frameworks and instead center culture, identity, and community resilience in research, policy, and practice. His reflections called for a paradigm that celebrates positive cultural values, encourages deep listening among health professionals, and sustains engagement even amidst uncertainty and systemic challenges.
Following the keynote session, the session continued with an inspiring panel discussion with Dr. Juliet, Derek M. Griffith, PhD, from University of Pennsylvania, and Titilayo Okoro, PhD, from Binghamton University, moderated by Ucheoma Nwaozuru, PhD from Wake Forest University, Olufunto "Funto" Olusanya, PhD, MD, MPH from WashU Medicine, and Dr. Temi. The panelists each offered personal reflections on the book’s lasting impact personally, academically, and professionally. When asked to capture the book in a single word, panelists chose terms like “a transformational affirmation,” “an arrival,” and “heartening”—underscoring how the work has been pivotal in affirming identity, fostering resilience, and guiding culturally responsive health research.
The discussion highlighted several key themes such as the importance of healing beyond the individual, centering strengths and assets, empowering youth and community voices, reframing health and structural racism, and the intersection of technology, globalization, and health. Panelists emphasized the need to pursue healing, not just for individuals, but for entire systems and communities, rooted in affirming cultural identity and human dignity and the importance of moving beyond deficit narratives, advocating for public health approaches that recognize and build upon the existing strengths within communities (a core principle of the PEN-3 model) by listening to the voices of the community and the importance of involving young people not just as beneficiaries of public health programs and interventions, but as active leaders in designing and implementing them.
The panelists concluded the conversation discussing the need to mentor the next generation of scholars who will build upon culturally centered frameworks to drive sustainable and equitable global health change and practical application of the PEN-3 Model, noting its critical role in grant writing, implementation science, and stakeholder engagement. By anchoring interventions in cultural strengths and affirming the assets within communities, the model continues to guide transformative, sustainable public health efforts.
Professor Airhihenbuwa concluded with a message of optimism and hope. He cited the energy, creativity, and leadership of emerging scholars as a key source of inspiration for the future. In a time marked by global health crises and political uncertainty, he urged attendees to remain committed to the transformative processes of questioning, listening, and reimagining health through culturally affirming lenses.
As the Light Institute continues to expand its impact, this milestone celebration reinforces its mission: to create a future where public health is redefined by the strengths, wisdom, and dreams of the communities it serves, and a reaffirmation that the journey beyond the Western paradigm is not only a theoretical shift but a deeply human one—grounded in healing, storytelling, cultural pride, and the unwavering pursuit of equity.
