The School of Public Health receives renewal funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
March 16, 2025 - The University of Memphis (UofM) School of Public Health is pleased to announce the renewed funding of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Transforming Academia for Equity (TAE) grant.
The $125,000 renewal award, titled “Extending a Mentorship Program to Build a Culture of Opportunity and Success for High-Risk and First-Generation Graduate Students,” will support the program from April 1, 2025-March 31, 2026. This marks the third consecutive funding cycle.
As one of only seven schools of public health to be selected for this national initiative, our UofM School of Public Health remains committed to mentoring first-generation graduate students. The program equips graduate students with essential skills and resources to thrive in academic training and careers in public health. Additionally, the school will collaborate with the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) to share innovative strategies with the broader academic community.
The grant’s principal investigator is Marian Levy, DrPH, RD, FAND, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement and Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Collaborating faculty and staff include:
- Debra Bartelli, DrPH - Research Associate Professor of Urban Health
- Fawaz Mzayek, MD, MPH, PhD - Associate Professor of Epidemiology
- Xinhua Yu, MD, PhD, MS - Associate Professor of Epidemiology
- Angelia Sanders, PhD - Division Director and Professor of Health Systems Management and Policy
- Briana McNeil, MEd - Coordinator, Recruitment and Admissions
This renewed support reinforces the UofM School of Public Health’s mission to foster academic success and fair opportunities for all students in public health.
Photo: At the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grantees meeting in Alexandria, VA, March 16, 2025: Fawaz Mzayek, MD, MPH, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology; Marian Levy, DrPH, RD, FAND, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement and Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Clarion J. Harris, PhDc, Doctoral Candidate, Social and Behavioral Sciences; Miranda Bosse, MPH, MSW, Director of Educational Initiatives, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health; Maanasa Kanimilli, MPH, Project Manager, Institute of Innovation, Discovery, and Excellence in Academia, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
Logos of University of Memphis School of Public Health (UofM SPH), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)