BLACK STUDENT ASSOCIATION AWARDS CEREMONY
FEBRUARY 17, 2023
Presented by
THE 31 ST ANNUAL
Black Student Association Executive Board 2 About the Black Student Association ................................................................. 2 BSA Awards Program 3 BSA Awards Keynote Speaker 4 BSA Award Honorees 5-11
Table of Contents
Black Student Association Executive Board | 2022 – 2023 Officers
President
Okeoghene Ogaga, College of Medicine
Vice President
Mecca Gordon, College of Pharmacy
Treasurer Hilary Nwonuma, College of Pharmacy
Social Chair
Nia Marshall, College of Dentistry
Secretary
Ayanna Humphrey, College of Pharmacy
College Representatives
Dentistry: Justin Biam
Graduate Health Sciences: Perri “PJ” Johnson
Service Chair
Kelsey Long, College of Pharmacy
Nursing: Sainey Ceesay
Pharmacy: Keuna Truitt
Medicine: Natasha Tillett
Advisor
Dr. Dustin Fulton Assistant
Dean, College of
Medicine
The Black Student Association (BSA)
is an interdisciplinary organization founded in 1992 by African American students at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), and is open to all students regardless of ethnic background, discipline, or other affiliations. The purpose of the organization is to contribute to the success of its members through education, training, and community engagement. The BSA serves as a bridge for all members across all six colleges at UTHSC.
THE 31ST ANNUAL BLACK STUDENT
ASSOCIATION AWARDS CEREMONY
BSA AWARDS PROGRAM
Mistress of Ceremonies
Kelli Cook - Anchor/Reporter, WMC Action News 5
Welcome Mecca Gordon BSA Vice President, College of Pharmacy
Keynote Address .......................................................................................................................................................................
Shanea McKinney, PharmD Senior Clinical Advisor, Cigna University of Tennessee Board of Trustees
PRESENTATION OF AWARDS
College of Dentistry
College of Graduate Health Sciences
College of Health Professions
College of Medicine
College of Nursing
College of Pharmacy
Closing Remarks
Dr. Dustin Fulton BSA Advisor
Assistant Dean, College of Medicine
Okeoghene Ogaga BSA President, College of Medicine
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KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Shanea McKinney, PharmD
Dr. McKinney serves as Senior Clinical Advisor for Cigna, a global health service company. Dr. McKinney began her professional career in research and pharmaceutical drug development with Eli Lilly and Company. Throughout her career, she has held various executive positions leading strategic product development and implementation teams.
Dr. McKinney, is a native of Knoxville, and moved to Memphis in 2001 where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Memphis. She later matriculated to The University of Tennessee Health Science Center earning her Doctor of Pharmacy. She maintains pharmacy licenses in both Indiana and Tennessee.
Dr. McKinney remains active in professional and civic communities. Appointed by Governor Bill Lee, she currently serves on the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy as well as The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees. She also serves on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s (NABP) Task Force on State Oversight of Drug Importation.
Dr. McKinney has served on the Downtown Memphis Commission’s Downtown Mobility Authority since 2016, where she has held several leadership positions and is the immediate past Chair of the committee. She has previously served as co-chair of the Porter Goodwill Club for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis, is a devoted member of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Circle of Friends and an Executive Committee Board Member for Memphis River Parks Partnership.
Dr. McKinney is married to David McKinney and they have a son, Gethers.
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THE 31 ST ANNUAL BLACK STUDENT ASSOCIATION AWARDS CEREMONY
HONOREE
Briana Alston College of Dentistry
As a student in the dental hygiene program in the College of Dentistry, Briana Alston has demonstrated outstanding professional and community service. Prior to becoming a student at UTHSC, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in social work from Middle Tennessee State University.
She was elected by her peers to serve as vice president of community service for the dental hygiene class of 2023. In this role, she has helped to facilitate community service efforts for her class. She has volunteered with dental service events such as Give Kids a Smile, the Mid-South Mission of Mercy, and the Red Door Urban Missions Summer Festival. She has also served with Love Thy Neighbor, a weekly food service for Shelby County citizens in need.
Briana is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. After graduation, she plans to practice dental hygiene in Memphis before ultimately relocating to Texas.
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HONOREE
Mia Lewis College of Dentistry
Mia Lewis, a native of West Memphis, Arkansas, attended Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas, as an honors student, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences. As a hard-working student, Mia always aspired of having a successful career in dentistry.
Due to her father’s untimely passing, Mia was raised by her mother and has two younger sisters. Her mother instilled the importance of education in her at a young age. Mia has prospered throughout her young academic career. During her time at Arkansas State University, Mia maintained a work-study job, volunteered at the campus’ food pantry, and served as a peer mentor.
As a student in the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) program, she has been an integral part of the College of Dentistry, participating in various student organizations such as the Student National Dental Association (SNDA) where she is the secretary. She has also served as a teacher’s assistant in the pre-doctoral operative laboratory, conducted research, and achieved much more throughout her academic career. Her spirit of service has been felt in Memphis as she has volunteered at oral health fairs and visited local schools to educate students about pursuing a career in healthcare.
Mia hopes to inspire little girls with the message that they can be anything they aspire to be with hard work and discipline. After graduation, she plans to work as a general dentist for a few years and later pursue an orthodontics residency.
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THE 31 ST ANNUAL BLACK STUDENT ASSOCIATION AWARDS CEREMONY
HONOREE
Bianca Jackson College of Graduate Health Sciences
Bianca Jackson has made a name for herself in health outcomes research using evidence-based insights to inform health care access and delivery across various therapeutic areas.
As a student in the College of Graduate Health Sciences, she is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in health outcomes research and policy with an emphasis in health informatics. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in health systems management from the University of Memphis.
She has experience in qualitative and quantitative research, clinical research, health technology assessment development, and evidence evaluation, analysis, and synthesis. Her dissertation research focuses on the use of machine learning to predict lung cancer risk using EHR data.
Bianca served as a student representative on the Graduate Student Executive Council. She is praised in her college for the energy she brings to her work, which inspires colleagues, faculty, and staff. After graduating, she plans to go into consulting in Health Economics and Outcomes Research.
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HONOREE
Siham Sherif College of Health Professions
Siham Sherif, a third-year Master of Occupational Therapy student, is known across her department for her academic excellence, professionalism, and commitment to the community. She has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout the program, while also participating in many leadership and volunteer activities.
Prior to becoming a student at UTHSC, she founded and was president of the Eritrean-Ethiopian Student Association (in 2019) at the University of North Carolina, was a tutor in a Gross Anatomy lab, and was a supervisor of Facilities and Operations at the UNC Campus Recreation Center.
Siham has demonstrated excellence in scholarship since her didactic coursework. She and several classmates presented a poster at the 2022 Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference titled, “Effects of Sensory Intervention on Neurological Development in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Critically Appraised Topic.”
She is a board member of the Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center, a student-run pro-bono clinic for uninsured or underinsured Tennesseans, and served as the secretary of the Delta Zeta Chapter of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation’s honor society, Pi Theta Epsilon (PTE). Siham also served as a gross anatomy teaching assistant, providing support to occupational therapy and physical therapy students.
In addition to exhibiting leadership at UTHSC, she also volunteers at the Memphis Islamic Center, where she has helped set up and run community health fairs, COVID vaccination events, and dinners for families in need during Ramadan. She is also a Youth Head Soccer Coach, where she works with children ages two to eight years old.
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THE 31 ST ANNUAL BLACK STUDENT ASSOCIATION AWARDS CEREMONY
HONOREE
Savannah Bush College of Medicine
Savannah Bush has truly distinguished herself in outstanding academic achievement and community service. At UTHSC, she has undoubtedly excelled academically while being professional and engaged as a student leader. She is a fourthyear student in the College of Medicine and will graduate with the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in May 2023.
Savannah is not only a scholar, but she also gives back. She serves on the Wellness Committee, a student-led group that is essential to helping students manage the responsibilities of medical school in a healthy way. Savannah shows compassion to fellow students as the Class of 2023 Aid for Impaired Medical Student (AIMS) representative and as a member of the Diversity Coalition. As an advocate for student success, Savannah represents the College of Medicine as a member of the Organization of Student Representatives (OSR). Through her work with OSR, she provides necessary input to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and its Council of Deans, impacting the medical student community at UTHSC and across the nation.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Savannah works with student leaders to select speakers for the Inspire Series which invites notable physicians to share their passion and drive for medicine, emphasizing humanism and mentorship, to combat apathy and build resilience to burnout. After graduating, she plans to begin residency in pediatrics and hopes to have a career in medical education.
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HONOREE
Charlotte Isabel College of Nursing
Charlotte Isabel is set to graduate from the College of Nursing in May 2023, earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with a concentration in pediatric acute care.
During her time in the DNP program, Charlotte has worked as a registered nurse and relief staff leader at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She has been highly involved with nursing organizations and currently serves as the Tennessee Nurses Association District 1 presidentelect and as a student ambassador with the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.
In 2022, she was nominated as a rising nurse leader in Tennessee. Charlotte is interested in becoming a sexual assault nurse examiner and is currently enrolled in online coursework through the UTHSC College of Nursing. Upon completion, she will be able to take care of adults and children who have been sexually assaulted.
Throughout the program, Charlotte has remained a top pediatric acute care nurse practitioner student.
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THE 31 ST ANNUAL BLACK STUDENT ASSOCIATION AWARDS CEREMONY
HONOREE
Alainee Miller College of Pharmacy
A native Memphian, Alainee Miller graduated from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmaceutical science from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Alainee is currently a fourth-year Doctor of Pharmacy student who demonstrates leadership, professionalism, and a commitment to patient care. She is also completing coursework toward a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Memphis, which will also be awarded in May 2023.
During her time at UTHSC, Alainee has been an effective leader, as demonstrated by serving as the Pharmacy Student Government Association President (2021-2022) and the Pharmacy Student Representative of the UTHSC Executive Committee. In her leadership roles, Alainee has helped many new student pharmacists navigate professional school during a pandemic.
Alainee has been awarded the Tennessean Diversity Scholarship in 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022, as well as the Chancellor’s Diversity Scholarship in 2022-2023. She was also the recipient of the Virginia Eoff Scholarship in 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023.
With a passion for helping others, Alainee works as an intern at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, where she is conducting research on factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance in pediatric patients. After graduation, Alainee hopes to pursue a PGY-1 residency with her practice areas of interest including infectious diseases and emergency medicine. In her spare time, Alainee enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching football, working puzzles, and personally training others in HIIT and strength-based workouts.
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Proud Sponsor of the BSA Awards uthsc.edu/executive-vice-chancellor
Congratulations to the 2023 BSA Award Honorees
Briana Alston College of Dentistry
Siham Sherif College of Health Professions
Mia Lewis College of Dentistry
Bianca Jackson College of Graduate Health Sciences
Savannah Bush College of Medicine
Charlotte Isabel College of Nursing
Alainee Miller College of Pharmacy
The 31st Annual Black Student Association Awards Ceremony
February 17, 2023
Presented by the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor
Special thanks to the following:
Dr. Peter Buckley (Chancellor)
Dr. Kennard Brown (Executive Vice Chancellor)
College of Dentistry
College of Graduate Health Sciences
College of Health Professions
College of Medicine
College of Nursing
College of Pharmacy
UTHSC Human Resources
UTHSC Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery
UTHSC Office of Communications & Marketing
Collage Dance Collective
Holliday Flowers
Sage Creative
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