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MEWI launches Faculty Affiliate Program to advance population health

MEWI Faculty Affiliates
Faculty Affiliates from left to right: Wendy White, PhD; Vincent Mendy, DrPH; Abigail Gamble, PhD; Anna Grace Tribble, PhD; Kisa Harris, PhD; Jacinda Roach, PhD, RDN; Victoria Gholar, DNP, RN; Felicia Wilson-Simpson, DNP; Sheila Belk, MD; Gladys Peters, Ed.D, MPH; Victor D. Sutton, PhD, MPPA; Janice Hall, PhD; Kedra Wallace, PhD; Osayande Agbonlahor, PhD; Saurabh Chandra, MD, PhD. Not pictured: Jennifer Lemacks, PhD; Patrick Alexander, PhD

The Myrlie Evers-Williams Institute for the Elimination of Health Disparities (MEWI) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center has launched a new Faculty Affiliate Program designed to strengthen statewide collaboration, expand community-engaged research and accelerate progress toward health equity in Mississippi. The program marks a meaningful step forward in MEWI’s mission to eliminate health disparities and empower communities across the state.

The program was co-designed in June 2025 through a collaborative convening of Mississippi-based leaders who identified strategic priorities and a shared vision for a healthier and more equitable Mississippi. The resulting framework centers on three pillars:

• Research leadership: Supporting collaborative community-engaged health disparities research, increasing access to Mississippi-specific data and improving dissemination that reaches policymakers, practitioners and communities.
• Field-building: Mentoring trainees, supporting early-career researchers and strengthening cross-disciplinary learning to grow the state’s clinical and population health workforce.
• Community empowerment: Partnering with trusted local organizations, elevating non-clinical community professionals and ensuring communities guide and co-create solutions that affect their health.

Faculty Affiliates commit to contributing 12 hours annually through meetings, subcommittees, teaching, mentorship and engagement activities. The program also supports affiliates through shared resources, collaborative tools and opportunities for joint research and dissemination.

Under the leadership of Dr. Abigail Gamble, MEWI's director of research and community engagement, the Faculty Affiliate Program aims to serve as a statewide hub for innovation, collaboration and community-centered action, building lasting partnerships and advancing MEWI’s mission to eliminate health disparities in Mississippi.