Hiluf E. Abraha - Epidemiology

GJMPP Date:  August 2024

Hometown:  Mekelle, Ethiopia

Faculty Mentor
Nansi S. Boghossian, PhD

Career Plans:  My career plan revolves around my profound passion for enhancing maternal and child health outcomes, addressing intricate public health issues, and mitigating health disparities. I aim to employ epidemiological designs and methodologies to undertake robust studies that inform evidence-based interventions and policies aimed at improving maternal and child health in resource limited settings.

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
As someone whose career plan is to be a researcher in academia, GJMPP holds profound significance for my journey.  GJMPP not only supports my academic and career goals but also empowers me to contribute meaningfully to positive change within higher education. 

Prince Nii Ossah Addo - Epidemiology

GJMPP Date: August 2021

Hometown: Accra-Ghana

Faculty Mentor
Dr. Monique J. Brown

Career Plans:  Become a college professor, where I can endeavor to have a positive impact on public health through research and teaching.

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
I am convinced that the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program will help me to realize my professional goals and equip me to make the most constructive contribution possible to the lives of others. Furthermore, the faculty mentorship and professional development opportunities will equip me with knowledge and research skills to join the public health experts in the world to combat preventable illnesses such as HIV and other associated mental health conditions, in order to have healthier populations.

Maxwell Akonde - Epidemiology

GJMPP Date: August 2020

Hometown: Sandema - Ghana

Faculty Mentor
Dr. Anthony Alberg

Career Plans: To become a cancer and infectious disease epidemiologist.

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
GJMPP provides both a family and an intellectual resource for me. It is a platform where I hope to connect and collaborate with people not just in the now, but for future activities as well. The workshops, seminars and activities are equally tailored preparing me for my career path.

Mosiah N’nah Asad - Creative Writing

GJMPP Date:  August 2023

Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina

Faculty Mentor
Samuel Amadon, MFA

Career Plans: Writer and Educator

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
This program will be a positive resource as a future educator and will make my degree more attainable.

Oluranti O. Babalola - Social Work

GJMPP Date: January 2022

Hometown: Ibadan, Nigeria

Faculty Mentor
Jan Ostermann, PhD

Career Plans: Tenure Track Professor

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
It means an opportunity for me to be able to achieve my goals in my advanced program without thinking of funding.

Anthony T. Carr - Educational Studies / Counselor Education

GJMPP Date: August 2017

Hometown:Adelphi, Maryland

Faculty Mentor
Ryan G. Carlson, Ph.D.

Career Plans: Professor

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
Opportunity to promote scholarship for ethnic minorities and to be an advocate for their interests in large academic realm.

Larissa Daniels-Hill - Anthropology

GJMPP Date: August 2021

Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Faculty Mentor
Dr. Carlina de la Cova

Career Plans:  Public Health

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
The Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program is an opportunity to promote both diversification within the professorate and knowledge proliferation between disciplines. The opportunity to engage with diverse scholarship in this program is beneficial in creating contacts between fields and allows for broader thought and method development in the future.

Cynthia D. Duncan-Joseph - Political Science

GJMPP Date: August 2017

Hometown:Buffalo, New York

Faculty Mentor
Todd. C. Shaw, Ph.D.

Career Plans: Teach at a liberal arts four year college/university

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
The Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program means support and engagement.  I look forward to being part of a community that supports the ideas of the scholars and recognizes the importance of giving back to the community outside of higher education.  I am confident that the support from current and previous fellows along with our mentors will be honest and engaging to allow us to take risks and grow from our mistakes without attacking our identity as scholars nor diminishing the importance of our ideas.

Franklin J. Gause – Special Education

GJMPP Date: August 2018

Hometown: Loris, South Carolina

Career Plans:  To teach collegiate course and produce publications and research in Special Education

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you
It is an honor to be a Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program scholar.  The legacy of Dr. McFadden will live on through the work and scholarship I will demonstrate through my studies.

Juliana M. Gebhardt – Communication Sciences and Disorders

GJMPP Date: August 2022

Hometown: Beccar, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Faculty Mentor
Lisa Fitton, PhD

Career Plans: To research in literacy development among diverse learners

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
It means an education lifetime opportunity that will enable me to study in one of the best universities in the USA which is the most advanced country in this area of study.  I feel very fortunate for this experience because I will be able to meet professionals and students from all around the world and be part of the equity and inclusion university spirit.

Timothy (Blake) Hite - Anthropology

GJMPP Date: August 2020

Hometown: Pembroke, NC

Faculty Mentor
Dr. Courtney Lewis

Career Plans: Tenure Track Professor

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
It means that I am able to meet and work with scholars from various academic disciplines with the same goal; to change the face of academia.

Marco Hernandez - Biology

GJMPP Date: August 2021

Hometown: Seattle, Washington

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Katie Kathrein

Career Plans: I would like to teach biology at the undergraduate level, preferentially in an institution with a large population of minority students.

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
The GMPP is a stepping stone that will help me to gain experience in teaching and mentoring. This way, I can incorporate these skills into my personal tool kit and utilize them while giving back to my future students.

Gwen Hopper - Analytical Chemistry

GJMPP Date: August 2021

Hometown: Kings Mountain, North Carolina

Faculty Mentor
Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson

Career Plans:  My career goals involve teaching general chemistry and environmental/aquatic chemistry at the university level while continuing water quality related research. In addition to teaching and research, I would like to work towards making information from scientific research more accessible to the public in terms of what is happening in the sciences, the influence of policy and management, and what this means for specific communities. Outside of academia, I look forward to participating in diversity, equity, and inclusion work within the sciences through outreach programs in under-funded communities

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
To me, the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program is an opportunity to learn more about the foundation of educating others and to gain the necessary skills to achieve my goal of becoming a professor. This program not only minimizes financial worries of students, but also gives us the chance to collaborate, network, and learn from like-minded individuals with similar career interests.

Tempest S. Johnson – Language and Literacy

GJMPP Date: August 2020

Hometown: Darlington, South Carolina

Faculty Mentor
Eurydice Bauer, PhD

Career Plans: To become a tenure-track professor at a research one institution

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
Being a part of the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program means support, professional engagement with peers, and an opportunity to network and establish lasting connections that will open the door for future collaboration.

Diamonde C. McCollum - Clinical Community Psychology

GJMPP Date:  August 2023

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Faculty Mentor
Nada Goodrum, PhD

Career Plans: My long-term career goals include becoming a professor and assisting children and families experiencing adversity and trauma, both through research efforts and clinical work.  Specifically, within this realm, I wish to focus my efforts on understanding and supporting marginalized groups such as Black Americans.  Early adversities disproportionately impact these groups, and my research would guide and inform treatment and intervention efforts in the most culturally appropriate and sensible ways.

What doe the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
The Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program provides me with an opportunity to increase the representation of professors of color and provide me with additional knowledge and research skills to serve Black children and families exposed to several stressors and traumatic events to create intervention and prevention methods specialized for communities of color.

Kenya Moore - Exercise Science

GJMPP Date: August 2021

Hometown: Sanford, Florida

Faculty Mentor
Dr. Toni Torres-McGehee

Career Plans: Becoming a professor in a professional Athletic Training educational program; Continue clinical work in Athletic Training.

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
GJMPP is an opportunity to collaborate with a group of other minority scholars and will provide the opportunity for me to have development and training to reach academic/professional success and further my ability to serve my community. This program will help me be a professor with impact and I am grateful for the support and empowerment to excel as a young professional.

Paddington T. Mundagowa - Epidemiology

GJMPP Date: August 2023

Hometown:  Mutare, Zimbabwe

Faculty Mentor
Mufaro Kanyangarara, PhD

Career Plans: I plan to become a college professor and conduct transformative epidemiologic research among underrepresented mothers and children.

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
It is a great honor to become part of the profound legacy of Dr. J McFadden, a champion in the amplification of the once-muffled voices and contributions of minorities. I believe the Program will help hone my academic and research skills and enhance my understanding of the importance of social contribution, particularly toward advancing the health of the underserved. Through guidance from faculty mentors and educational support from the Program, I will get a strong foundation on which to build my future career as a college professor. The Program also offers me boundless opportunities to network with other scholars from diverse backgrounds in an environment that cultivates innovation and creativity.

Christina Plakas – Criminology and Criminal Justice

GJMPP Date: August 2022

Hometown:  New York, New York

Faculty Mentor
Tia Stevens Anderson, PhD

Career Plans: To teach at a university and conduct research on sentencing disparities

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
It means an opportunity where I can continue to grow as a student and scholar so that I can develop the necessary skills to one day become a professor in a field that lacks minority and female representation.

Walter Quiller - English

GJMPP Date: August 2021

Hometown:  Augusta, Georgia

Faculty Mentor
Seulghee Lee, PhD

Career Plans: To become an English Professor.

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
I hope this program will provide me with the skills to have a positive influence on students and colleagues.

Beatrice N. Quiroz - Educational Psychology and Research

GJMPP Date:  August 2024

Hometown:  Miami, Florida

Faculty Mentor
Angela D. Starrett, PhD

Career Plans:  My career plan is to continue my education in the PhD program for Educational Psychology and Research focusing on the EDRM track.  I intend to become a tenured professor in the future, though I understand the difficulty doing so.  I would be happy being a Research Assistant Professor as well.  

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
The GJMPP is a symbolism of hope and inspiration.  It means I am granted the opportunity to succeed through the support and resources I will be provided with by the program.  Additionally, I can strengthen my teaching and organizational skills so that I can be the best professor I can be upon graduation.  Further, it means that I have the chance to inspire other minorities to reach for the stars, and apply themselves to their studies, scholarship, and future endeavors.

Sowmya Raghu - Mechanical Engineering

GJMPP Date: August 2021

Hometown: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Faculty Mentor
Dr. Jamil Khan

Career Plans: To become a Professor in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering 

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program has provided me with a great opportunity to further my educational and research endeavors while being amongst a diverse and inclusive group of academics. GJMPP serves as a platform for holistic development of the underrepresented scholars who call “Carolina Their Home” with a breadth of professional development activities, mentorship, service opportunities, and more, to ensure the scholar’s continued success. It is an honor to be a part of the GJMPP program representing India and Women in STEM.

Tremaine T. Sails-Dunbar – Health Promotion, Education and Behavior

GJMPP Date: August 2022

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Faculty Mentor
Lucy Annang Ingram, PhD

Career Plans: Academia

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
This program will allow me to hone my skills as a budding academic.  It is an opportunity that I relish because it prepares students for a role as an intellectual and creator of knowledge.

Amadi A. Sefah-Twerefore - Marine Science

GJMPP Date:  August 2023

Hometown: Nkwatia-Ghana

Faculty Mentor
Erin Meyer-Gutbrod, PhD

Career Plans:  Conduct research in marine ecosystem conservation, policy and science communication, bioacoustics and climate change.

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
It is an opportunity to be equipped to better serve my community and the world.

Penias Tembo - Epidemiology

GJMPP Date:  August 2024

Hometown:  Lusaka, Zambia

Faculty Mentor: 
James R. Hebert, PhD

Career Plans:  My long-term goal is to establish a distinguished academic career, building on the education I will have received from the University of South Carolina.  I plan to lead epidemiological studies that examine the complex relationship between diet and chronic diseases with a particular focus on cancer outcomes.  I am to transform research findings into accessible knowledge, guiding students in understanding the role of nutrition in health through engaging lectures, hands-on workshops, and collaborative projects that foster critical thinking and innovation.  I also intend to actively contribute to public health by participating in university committees, developing curricula, and organizing conferences to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing within the academic community.   

What does the Grace Jodan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?

The Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program is a vital opportunity for me to advance my career in academic public health.  By supporting my research, honing my teaching skills, and fostering a commitment to community service, this program will enable me to make a significant impact.  It will also allow me to collaborate with like-minded peers who are dedicated to advancing knowledge and driving progress in our fields.  Through this program, I can both contribute to and benefit from a community striving to propel our academic work forward.

Quentin O. Wedderburn – School of Psychology

GJMPP Date: August 2022

Hometown: Springfield, Massachusetts

Faculty Mentor
 Sarah Edmunds, PhD

Career Plans: School Psychologist/Principal Investigator

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
The GJMPP is important to me because of the opportunity it presents to engage with a community of like-minded scholars who come from similar backgrounds as me.  It has always been important to me to surround myself with folks from diverse backgrounds and this program directly aligns with my values in this regard.  I also hope to attain strong mentorship bonds that will last long past my time as a PhD student at the University of South Carolina.

James White III - Exercise Science

GJMPP Date: August 2021

Hometown: Fort Mill, South Carolina

Faculty Mentor
Dr. Glenn Weaver

Career Plans: To pursue a career in academia.

What does the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program mean to you?
As an aspiring professor, the GJMPP means an opportunity to gain additional preparation for my future career within a vibrant, growing community. Moreover, the program means a chance to fellowship with faculty, staff, scholars, and alumni associated with the program, as well as an opportunity to gain financial and academic support for my graduate studies. I am excited to learn and grow within this community as I pursue my PhD