2023_diversity_scholars
AcademyHealth Staff with 2023 Diversity Scholars.

The Diversity Scholars Program application period for the 2024 ARM is now closed.

The AcademyHealth Diversity Scholars Program provides registration support for up to ten scholars to attend the Annual Research Meeting (ARM). The goal of the Program is to support the professional development of underrepresented racial/ethnic minority groups in the field of health services research (HSR). Mentoring is a core component of the Program.

There is a special slot in the Diversity Scholars Program specifically for Nursing! Find more information about the Policy and Politics in Nursing Scholarship here.

Scholarship Information


Eligibility Requirements:

  • Current full-time or part-time, graduate-level students; post-doctoral fellows; or clinical fellows.
  • Member of an underrepresented racial/ethnic minority group.*
  • Availability to attend the ARM on the specified dates. 
  • U.S. Citizen.**

Application Instructions:

To apply, applicants must upload and submit the following materials to the online application system: 

  • A completed online application form, including in the submission:
    • Current Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
    • Statement of Interest (500 words max). The essay should address your personal learning objectives, demonstrated interest in the field of HSR and/or disparities and equity research; and past or current research/work related to HSR. The essay should also show a clear connection between your stated learning objectives and professional goals and your interest in being a diversity scholar. We strongly suggest that you write the essay out in a Word document and then copy and paste it into the form.
  • Supporting documentation, including:
    • If applicable, documentation of student status (e.g. scanned copy of student ID, departmental letter)
    • Signed letter of recommendation from your faculty advisor or work supervisor on official letterhead

More Information


*AcademyHealth's definition of underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups in the field of HSR is based on the NIH definition as the following: African American/Black, American Indian & Alaskan Native, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian, and Asian American & Pacific Islander. (NIH) (NSF)

**Due to program requirements, applicants who are not U.S. citizens are not eligible to apply.

If you need additional assistance for scholarship related questions, please contact us here.

2023 Diversity Scholars


James Baffoe headshot
Member

James Baffoe, Pharm.D.

Graduate Student - University of Texas College of Pharmacy

Dr. James O. Baffoe is a graduate student in the Health Outcomes Division at the University of Texas College of Pharmacy (UTCOP). Read Bio

Ayomide Bankole headshot
Member

Ayomide Okanlawon Bankole, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dr. Ayomide Okanlawon Bankole is a National Institute of Health T32 postdoctoral research fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Nursing. Read Bio

Joniqua Ceasar headshot
Member

Joniqua Ceasar, M.D.

Resident - Johns Hopkins Hospital

Joniqua Ceasar is a third-year resident in the Urban Health Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency program at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Read Bio

CeRon headshot
Committee Member, Member

CeRon Ford, M.P.H.

Graduate Research Assistant - University of Minnesota School of Public Health

CeRon Ford is a doctoral student in the Health Services Research, Policy & Administration program with developing expertise in health policy. Read Bio

Sharli Esquenazi-Karonika headshot
Member

Shari Esquenazi-Karonika, M.P.H., M.S.

Doctoral Candidate - University of Texas Health Science Center

Ms. Shari Esquenazi-Karonika is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston on the Health Promotion & Behavioral Science track with a minor in Healthcare Management. Read Bio

Amandeep Kaur headshot
Member

Amandeep Kaur, M.A.

Doctoral Candidate - University of California, Irvine

Amandeep Kaur is a doctoral candidate in the Psychological Science Department at the University of California, Irvine. Read Bio

Arion Lillard-Green headshot
Member

Arion Lillard-Green, M.H.A., M.T.S.

Doctoral Student - George Mason University

Arion M. Lillard-Green is a health services research doctoral student in the Department of Health Administration and Policy at George Mason University. Read Bio

Erika Meza headshot
Member

Erika Meza, M.P.H.

Doctoral Candidate - University of California San Francisco

Erika Meza, M.P.H., is a doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and Translational Science at the University of California, San Francisco. Her research interests center around socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic health inequities in cognitive health. Read Bio

Cynthia Pando headshot
Member

Cynthia Pando, M.A.

Doctoral Candidate - University of Minnesota

Cynthia Pando is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in the Sociology of Health and Illness track. Read Bio

Milan Satcher headshot
Member

Milan F. Satcher, M.D., M.P.H.

Postdoctoral Fellow - Dartmouth Health

Dr. Milan Satcher is a T32 postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Community and Family Medicine at Dartmouth Health and a scholar in the Lifespan/Brown Criminal Justice Research Training Program. Read Bio

Tran headshot
Author, Member

Nathaniel M. Tran

Doctoral Candidate and Research Associate - LGBTQ+ Policy Lab at Vanderbilt University

Nathaniel M. Tran, B.A. is a doctoral student in the Department of Health Policy and research associate in the LGBTQ+ Policy Lab at Vanderbilt University. Read Bio

Policy and Politics in Nursing Scholar
Portia Zaire headshot
Member

Portia Zaire, R.N., M.S.N.

Doctoral Student - The Ohio State University

Portia J. Zaire has been a Registered Nurse since 2007. She is currently completing her Ph.D. studies at The Ohio State University College of Nursing where her research focuses on health promotion and equity in medically underserved communities. Read Bio