New faculty join UMMC academic ranks
Medical Center leadership is proud to announce the following additions to its faculty and leadership staff.
Roshanda L. Alexander
Roshanda L. Alexander, recently a nurse educator for Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, has joined the Medical Center faculty as an instructor of nursing in the School of Nursing.
Alexander earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg before receiving her Master of Science in Nursing Education in 2003 from Alcorn State University in Lorman.
She also served, consecutively, as a staff nurse at UMMC; travel nurse for Cross Country Staffing in Flushing, New York; staff nurse at King’s Daughter Medical Center in Brookhaven; tobacco-free staff nurse for the Lawrence County School District in Monticello; staff nurse for Lawrence County Hospital in Monticello; and health science instructor for the Lawrence County School District.
Throughout her career, Alexander has earned recognition for her accomplishments as an educator, mentor, clinician and scholar. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
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Dr. Jennifer Hankenson
Dr. Jennifer Hankenson, recently an assistant professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation in the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, has joined the Medical Center faculty as an associate professor of neurosurgery in the School of Medicine.
Board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, and in lifestyle medicine, Hankenson earned her medical degree in 2016 from the University of South Florida in Tampa before completing her residency at Georgetown Medstar National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Recently, she also served as the program director of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Yale New Haven Medical Center and, at the Yale School of Medicine, as associate vice chair of clinical affairs for physiatry, orthopaedics and rehabilitation, as well as physician champion, utilization project, orthopaedics and rehabilitation.
Her professional honors include being named to the Innovators and Influencers list for 2025 by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Hankenson has participated in a number of international, national and regional presentations, along with workshops and speaking engagements. She has served on a variety of advisory boards and held numerous leadership roles at the Yale University/Hospital System.
She is a member of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine; American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, including its Hypermobility Member Community; American College of Lifestyle Medicine; and Association of Academic Physiatrists, including its Program for Academic Leadership. She has contributed a number of years to public service as a volunteer.
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Dr. Rennette Zavala
Dr. Rennette Zavala, recently a surgical critical care fellow at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System in Spartanburg, South Carolina, has joined the Medical Center faculty as an assistant professor of surgery-trauma in the School of Medicine.
Board-certified in general surgery, Zavala earned her medical degree in 2019 at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After an intern year at the University of Colorado Health System, she completed her general surgery residency at the University of Florida Health Jacksonville in 2024, serving as administrative chief her final year.
During her career, she has received honors for clinical excellence and scholarship. As a researcher, she has contributed to several scientific investigations and publications.
Zavala has devoted a number of years to community and volunteer service. She is a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American College of Surgeons.