Dr. Joshi is Dean and a Distinguished University Professor of the School of Public Health of the University of Memphis. Dr. Joshi is an innovator, entrepreneur, educator, researcher, administrator, and mentor. He is an established population health informatics researcher who combines his academic training in clinical medicine, public health, and informatics to design and develop human-centered, technology-enabled interventions to enhance population health outcomes across diverse community settings. He has extensive experience in utilizing community and hospital-based data to implement and evaluate informatics-enabled solutions to address social, economic, and health inequities of the 21st century. He combines data-driven innovative entrepreneurial creative approaches to advance excellence in public health education, and research, that can address public health challenges in the community by preparing the next generation of public health leaders. Despite his administrative role, continues scholarly and research contributions toward improving the good health and well-being of individuals, families, and the communities they live in. Dr. Joshi conceptualized the SMAART informatics model using combined principles of the human-centered approach, humanistic, behavioral, learning, and information processing theory to advance the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. He has designed and developed, standalone and internet-enabled, multi-lingual, digital health interventions such as population health dashboards, consumer health informatics, m-health interventions, and population-based surveillance tools across multiple settings to improve population health outcomes.
Dr. Joshi successfully completed more than two dozen research projects in the areas of population health informatics across multiple countries including the US, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Haiti, Egypt, and Brazil. These projects were funded by several Federal, State, and international government agencies and other private foundations. Dr. Joshi also launched the first of its kind fully online Certificate and MS Population Health Informatics Programs. He was awarded by the Open Society Institute to establish the Regional Population Health Informatics Education Hub to prepare the public health workforce with skills in population health informatics and how community data can be utilized to design human-centered interventions for the improvement of population health outcomes. The hub is established at BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health with an aim to create a regional network of experts in the population health informatics field ready to respond as a team to the next public health challenge. Dr. Joshi has been leading CUNY SPH efforts to implement the NYC Resource Navigator Test and Trace Program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and secured an award of a $10 million contract with the Housing Recovery Operations of the Mayor’s Office to implement the aftercare resource navigator program to address COVID-19 recovery efforts. Currently, he is the Chair of the Global Health Informatics Working Group of the American Medical Informatics Association. He is also an author of the first textbook published on Population Health Informatics: Driving Evidence-based solutions into practice published by Jones Bartlett. Dr. Joshi will help establish and co-lead the Center for PH-IDEAS, collaborating closely with Dr. Michelle Taylor, Director of the SCHD to oversee all components of this agreement.

Dr. Taylor earned her MPA from Harvard University in 2018, her DrPH from John Hopkins University in 2015, and her MD from East Tennessee State University in 2002. She has served as Deputy Director for Practice Integration at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and Division Chief of the Aerospace Medicine Division at the Office of the Air National Guard Surgeon General. She’s also held multiple positions at the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD), including currently as Director. Dr. Taylor served as a pediatrician and was Associate Medical Director and Deputy Administrator for Maternal and Child Health at the Shelby County Health Department. In this role, she was responsible for the overall management of Maternal and Child Health Programs (MCH) and oversaw programs geared toward providing services to under-resourced families through home visitation, case management, and outreach education. Prior to that, she was an MCH/Emergency Preparedness Physician at the Shelby County Health Department.
Dr. Taylor is a well-seasoned practitioner, and her research and applied work has predominantly focused on public policy issues impacting the health status of minority and disadvantaged populations. She has special emphasis on problem identification, policy formation, and development of leadership skills in practice and policy. Her leadership experiences have fueled her desire to make a real difference on behalf of vulnerable populations, about chronic disease, shortened life expectancies, and concentrated poverty. Dr. Taylor as the position at the highest level of the SCHD, will lead the efforts of the applicant organization and co-lead the proposed Center for PH-IDEAS at School of Public Health University of Memphis. Dr. Taylor’s extensive experience and expertise as a leader, practitioner, epidemiologist, and Health Director will assure success across all components of this agreement.

Dr. Nichole Saulsberry-Scarboro is the PH-IDEAS Director of Workforce and Strategic Partnerships in the School of Public Health at the University of Memphis. She is also the Program Director for Innovative Non-Profit and Foundations Engaged Research (INFER) in the Department of Research Development at the University of Memphis. Dr. Saulsberry-Scarboro is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. She is passionate about moving her community forward and has worked for over 20 years as an administrator successfully developing, implementing and monitoring projects and initiatives that help people thrive. Specifically, she has successfully led efforts to assist families dealing with mental illness, increase university grantsmanship, improve college access and success, increase employment opportunities for entry-level workers, improve collaboration among human and social services agencies to more efficiently and effectively assist clients as they move themselves to economic self-sufficiency, promote education as a civil right and personal responsibility, create more financially savvy Tennesseans, improve healthy living habits, and increase exposure to STEM coursework and careers.
In addition to her extensive and varied work experiences, Dr. Saulsberry-Scarboro is a formally trained educator. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Emory University, a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership from the University of Memphis, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Saulsberry-Scarboro has been happily married to Dr. Douglas Scarboro for over 23 years and they have two sons, both of whom, like herself, are elementary school graduates of the University of Memphis Campus School.

Stella is the Project Manager on PH-IDEAS. Stella is a highly accomplished professional with a strong educational background and a wealth of experience in project management and human resources. She has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence throughout her career. With a solid foundation in education, Stella holds a Master of Science in Project Management, showcasing expertise in planning, executing, and overseeing projects effectively. Her educational background also includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, providing a strong understanding of organizational dynamics and management principles. In Stella's professional journey, she excelled as a Management Analyst at the City of Dallas where she displayed a keen ability to manage operations effectively. Her role involved overseeing various facets of operations, including budget management, contract compliance, and process improvement. She consistently delivered results by evaluating and streamlining processes to enhance efficiency.
One of Stella’s standout experiences was as a Project Management Office Executive Administrator at KBR, where she was part of the Human Health Performance Contract team at NASA. In this prestigious role, Stella played a pivotal role in generating key deliverables, process improvements, and coordinating special projects. Her contributions were crucial in various areas, from process improvement to contract evaluations, and even incident command functions. Stella continued to make significant strides as a Human Resource Project Coordinator at Baylor Scott & White. In this capacity, she contributed to the successful execution of projects coordinating project-related tasks and implementing process improvements. Stella has leveraged her skills to enhance project efficiency and ensure that objectives are met.

Dr. Polina Durneva serves as an Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems at the Fogelman College of Business and Economics, University of Memphis. She obtained her PhD from Florida International University. Dr. Durneva specializes in Health Informatics, Human-Computer Interaction, and Healthcare IT Management. Her scholarly work has been featured in reputable peer-reviewed journals, including the International Journal of Medical Informatics, Journal of Medical Internet Research, JMIR mHealth and uHealth, International Journal of Management Education, and Public Health. Additionally, Dr. Durneva has presented her research at premier national and international conferences in Information Systems and healthcare. These include the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS), Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS), International Conference on Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology (DESRIST), Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), and Academy Health.

Brenda is the Program Administrator on the PH-IDEAS. Brenda has a diverse background in trust administration and investment management, and development and advancement management for higher education, K-12 education, and healthcare. Previous to joining the University of Memphis PH-IDEAS, Brenda spent 10 years as a trustee for a private trust leading investment management, trust administration and operations. Brenda is a native of Michigan and spent 15 years in philanthropic development and advancement having served as a director of development at the University of Michigan, Oakland University and at the Ascension Healthcare System.

Sean possesses a diverse educational background firmly grounded in environmental science and boasts a master’s degree in Biostatistics acquired from the University of Memphis. Having spent over five years at the same institution, Sean diligently honed his skills as a research associate, which encompassed tasks ranging from protocol development to the analysis of air pollutants and the production of comprehensive scientific reports. This fusion of environmental expertise and statistical acumen, combined with his unwavering dedication to efficiency and organization, bolsters his preparedness for forthcoming challenges. With a forward-thinking outlook, Sean eagerly anticipates channeling his wealth of experiences into meaningful contributions to the field of public health research while embracing potential leadership opportunities.

Nidhi is an experienced healthcare professional with over 4 years of expertise in the healthcare sector. She holds a master's degree in health informatics from Rutgers University and another master's degree in health and hospital management from India. Her objective as a PH-IDEAS Data Analyst is to develop and refine data sets.

Kelli Harris, LPC-MHSP ACS is a seasoned practitioner with over two decades of experience in social services and mental health. Based in Memphis for the past 30 years, Kelli has dedicated her career to supporting children and families across all economic backgrounds. Her extensive work encompasses a variety of counseling and therapeutic settings, where she has provided invaluable services, particularly in the areas of child and adolescent grief and trauma. Previously, Kelli served as the Director of Grief and Trauma at one of the largest behavioral health hospitals in West Tennessee. Her deep understanding of these communities' systemic and cultural dynamics has positioned her as a trusted and compassionate advocate for those she serves. Kelli is also pursuing a doctorate in Behavioral Health, furthering her commitment to advancing mental health practices. In addition to her professional achievements, Kelli is a proud mother of two adult children. Her daughter, Kennedy Davis, is a dedicated preschool teacher in the local community, and her son, Kaleb Davis, is a recent graduate of Howard University, currently residing in Washington, D.C.

Donald (Donny) is a dedicated software developer with a keen curiosity and a passion for understanding how things work. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Rhodes College. Throughout his career, Donny has specialized in developing middleware software and seamlessly integrating on-premise systems with cloud environments. His diverse project portfolio includes business functionality enhancements and dynamic pricing solutions. Donny has a proven track record in managing and maintaining production environments. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys watching sports and spending time at the park with his dog.

Dr. Fedoria Rugless was born in Michigan, but also claims the states of Alabama and Tennessee as home. In 2007, Fedoria received her B.S. in Biomedical Sciences, with honors, along with minors in both Chemistry and Music, from Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama. She went on to continue her educational pursuits at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine where she was a Yates scholar, a fellow in the Molecular Epidemiology in Children’s Environmental Health Training Program, and graduated with her Ph.D. in Molecular Epidemiology in 2012. Her research interests have spanned from studying exposure effects and neuromotor performance, to patient centered outcomes, cancer research, HIV behavioral surveillance, and community based participatory research. She has presented her work in several publications, and at various conferences nationally and internationally which include the American Public Health Association Annual meeting & Expo, Center for Environmental Genetics Regional Showcase, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference, American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, and the Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health. She is also a Certified Clinical Research Professional through the Society of Clinical Research Associates. Dr. Rugless has previously led out in clinical research regionally at the Baptist Memorial Hospital Cancer Center, the State of Tennessee Department of Health, and Church Health Center Clinic, and has given oversight to various initiatives, served as a liaison between various investigators, university faculty and students, along with community partners and organizations, with the goals of building a strong, nationally recognized, collaborative research programs and networks that enhances the community-based and clinical work being done within model organizations. She also championed and led the Live! Memphis Breast Cancer Consortium, which lowered the breast cancer incidence rates for African American women in the Mid-South. Fedoria also served as Population Health & Health Equity Director for Wellpoint, a member of Anthem, Inc. where she provided direction and oversight for efforts to improve the health and well-being of the Tennessee health plan’s Medicaid membership. Dr. Rugless serves on the board of various organizations locally inclusive of the Mid-South Food Bank, the Iris Collective, the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, and the American Heart Association Heart Walk. Fedoria also has a passion for education and is adjunct faculty at various institutions within the region. She is an esteemed member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the National Association of Health Services Executives, National Association of County & City Health Officials, American Public Health Association, Women in Medicine and Science, and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. She is the proud founder and CEO of Holistic Harmony Inc., which specializes in health and wellness, consultation, grant writing, proposals, musicianship, production, and event management. Some of her extracurricular activities include mentoring, traveling, playing the piano, singing with various musical ensembles including the Memphis Symphony Chorus, Patrick Riddick & D’vyne Worship, and the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church Sanctuary Choir & Praise Team, and spending quality time with family and friends. She has been named in the Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40, a New Memphis Institute Leadership Fellow, an American Heart Association Mid-South Woman of Impact, and is a member of Oakwood University’s inaugural Top 40 Under 40 Class. Ultimately, she has a strong love for people, a desire to reduce healthcare disparities within underserved populations, and a burden for all to obtain holistic optimal health and wellness.

Dr. Joshi is Dean and a Distinguished University Professor of the School of Public Health of the University of Memphis. Dr. Joshi is an innovator, entrepreneur, educator, researcher, administrator, and mentor. He is an established population health informatics researcher who combines his academic training in clinical medicine, public health, and informatics to design and develop human-centered, technology-enabled interventions to enhance population health outcomes across diverse community settings. He has extensive experience in utilizing community and hospital-based data to implement and evaluate informatics-enabled solutions to address social, economic, and health inequities of the 21st century. He combines data-driven innovative entrepreneurial creative approaches to advance excellence in public health education, and research, that can address public health challenges in the community by preparing the next generation of public health leaders. Despite his administrative role, continues scholarly and research contributions toward improving the good health and well-being of individuals, families, and the communities they live in. Dr. Joshi conceptualized the SMAART informatics model using combined principles of the human-centered approach, humanistic, behavioral, learning, and information processing theory to advance the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. He has designed and developed, standalone and internet-enabled, multi-lingual, digital health interventions such as population health dashboards, consumer health informatics, m-health interventions, and population-based surveillance tools across multiple settings to improve population health outcomes.
Dr. Joshi successfully completed more than two dozen research projects in the areas of population health informatics across multiple countries including the US, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Haiti, Egypt, and Brazil. These projects were funded by several Federal, State, and international government agencies and other private foundations. Dr. Joshi also launched the first of its kind fully online Certificate and MS Population Health Informatics Programs. He was awarded by the Open Society Institute to establish the Regional Population Health Informatics Education Hub to prepare the public health workforce with skills in population health informatics and how community data can be utilized to design human-centered interventions for the improvement of population health outcomes. The hub is established at BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health with an aim to create a regional network of experts in the population health informatics field ready to respond as a team to the next public health challenge. Dr. Joshi has been leading CUNY SPH efforts to implement the NYC Resource Navigator Test and Trace Program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and secured an award of a $10 million contract with the Housing Recovery Operations of the Mayor’s Office to implement the aftercare resource navigator program to address COVID-19 recovery efforts. Currently, he is the Chair of the Global Health Informatics Working Group of the American Medical Informatics Association. He is also an author of the first textbook published on Population Health Informatics: Driving Evidence-based solutions into practice published by Jones Bartlett. Dr. Joshi will help establish and co-lead the Center for PH-IDEAS, collaborating closely with Dr. Michelle Taylor, Director of the SCHD to oversee all components of this agreement.

Dr. Taylor earned her MPA from Harvard University in 2018, her DrPH from John Hopkins University in 2015, and her MD from East Tennessee State University in 2002. She has served as Deputy Director for Practice Integration at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and Division Chief of the Aerospace Medicine Division at the Office of the Air National Guard Surgeon General. She’s also held multiple positions at the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD), including currently as Director. Dr. Taylor served as a pediatrician and was Associate Medical Director and Deputy Administrator for Maternal and Child Health at the Shelby County Health Department. In this role, she was responsible for the overall management of Maternal and Child Health Programs (MCH) and oversaw programs geared toward providing services to under-resourced families through home visitation, case management, and outreach education. Prior to that, she was an MCH/Emergency Preparedness Physician at the Shelby County Health Department.
Dr. Taylor is a well-seasoned practitioner, and her research and applied work has predominantly focused on public policy issues impacting the health status of minority and disadvantaged populations. She has special emphasis on problem identification, policy formation, and development of leadership skills in practice and policy. Her leadership experiences have fueled her desire to make a real difference on behalf of vulnerable populations, about chronic disease, shortened life expectancies, and concentrated poverty. Dr. Taylor as the position at the highest level of the SCHD, will lead the efforts of the applicant organization and co-lead the proposed Center for PH-IDEAS at School of Public Health University of Memphis. Dr. Taylor’s extensive experience and expertise as a leader, practitioner, epidemiologist, and Health Director will assure success across all components of this agreement.

Dr. Zhang is a biostatistician and data scientist and Division Director in the School of Public Health at the University of Memphis. She has vast experience in working with public health data and strong expertise in data operation and machine learning techniques, including methods in cluster analyses and directed/undirected network construction and comparisons. Dr. Zhang has a long track record of federal agency funded research as the principal investigator (R01AI121226, R21AI099367, R03HL095429) and a co-investigator on many other grants (e.g., HRSA R40 from CDC, PC102166 from DOD). She has more than 180 publications since 2004 plus three R computing packages and several the publications are in high rank journals.
Regarding student training, she has taught and supervised undergraduate and graduate students and has strong expertise in mentoring graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Since 2003, she has taught several courses (mostly graduate leveled courses) as an independent single instructor and supervised/advised more than 20 graduate students (and two post-doctoral fellows) on projects related to data sciences. Dr. Zhang will be responsible for UofM collaborative efforts in leading Strategy A3 data modernization to improve data infrastructure and develop and implement data modernization for the SCHD.

Debra Bartelli, DrPH, is a Research Associate Professor of Urban Health and the Director of Undergraduate Programs. She received her MPH and doctoral degrees from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Before joining the University of Memphis faculty, Dr. Bartelli worked for a national research firm conducting evaluations for non-profits, foundations, and government agencies. She also directed a multi-sector initiative in Shelby County designed to improve health outcomes, improve quality of care, and reduce healthcare costs with a focus on infant mortality reduction, chronic disease prevention, and end-of-life care. Dr. Bartelli's public health interests are diverse and include the built environment, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), environmental policy, food insecurity, and program evaluation. She is a founding member of the University’s iIMPACT Center. She also conducts fieldwork focused on improving public health infrastructure, access to clean water, and reducing food insecurity in rural Haiti.

Marian Levy, DrPH, RD, FAND is Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Memphis. Dr. Levy received her doctorate in public health from UCLA, with a fellowship from the National Cancer Institute. A Registered Dietitian and Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, she has spearheaded numerous initiatives to promote health equity, support social justice, and provide effective COVID response. Since 2005, she has served on NIH special emphasis review panels for the National Institute for Minority Health Disparities and has a robust research portfolio.
Over the past 25 years she has collaborated on numerous community-based research initiatives to promote health equity, support social justice, and provide effective COVID response. Dr. Levy has enjoyed a long-standing (15-year) collaboration with the Shelby County Health Department, first as a consultant to their pandemic flu planning, later initiating the Academic Health Department partnership with the University of Memphis School of Public Health, and most recently collaborating on community research to contain COVID-19. Additional collaborations with the SCHD have pertained to the county-wide health needs assessment (MAPP) process; opioid epidemic; infant mortality; and workforce development. As Associate Dean, she has coordinated the School’s Public Health Summer Institute for several years, in which SCHD staff received training in a range of topics (e.g., health equity, social determinants, Public Health 3.0, infectious disease epidemiology, leadership development, data management, SAS, and R). Dr. Levy has held several leadership posts, including President of the Tennessee Public Health Association. She currently serves on the Governing Council of the American Public Health
Association and as a Site Visitor for the Council on Education for Public Health, the accrediting body for Schools of Public Health. Dr. Levy will be responsible for UofM collaborative efforts in leading Strategy A2 to strengthen the foundational capabilities for the SCHD related to organizational competencies, culturally tailored communications, policy development, community partnerships, and effective emergency response.

Matthew earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Morehouse College in 2021. Throughout his undergraduate tenure, he served as the Public Relations Manager for the Morehouse College Glee Club, was a member of the Honors Program, and participated in the Judson Lyons Mentorship Initiative. Currently, Matthew is pursuing a master's degree in Urban Health and has become a part of the PH-IDEAS team to assist in educating and mentoring students within the experiential learning program.

Niharika is a first-year PhD student enrolled in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the School of Public Health, University of Memphis. She successfully completed her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Global Health at the University of Washington in June 2023. Niharika has a background as a research assistant, contributing to both quantitative and qualitative studies focused on noncommunicable diseases at Dhulikhel Hospital-Kathmandu University Hospital in Nepal. She also actively participated in a project related to cardiovascular disease (CVD), wherein she assessed national requirements for CVD-related capacity development. During her tenure at Dhulikhel Hospital, Niharika co-authored numerous manuscripts related to CVD. Her primary research interests encompass Public Health Research, Non-communicable Diseases, and Implementation Science.

Michael hails from Ghana and holds a Master of Philosophy in Statistics from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. Currently, he is actively pursuing a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics with a specialized focus on Biostatistics. His research endeavors are centered around maternal and child health, particularly in the realm of health statistics, employing Generalized Linear Modeling and Bayesian inference techniques. Michael aspires to leverage his expertise and experience to contribute to the advancement of Public Health development.

Shongkour is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Epidemiology at the School of Public Health at the University of Memphis. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Statistics from Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh. Prior to commencing his Ph.D. studies at the University of Memphis, he served as a Research Specialist in Dhaka, collaborating with various INGOs, international development organizations, and governmental agencies. Shongkour possesses research expertise in maternal and child health, adolescent health, sexual and reproductive health, and community health. His research interests revolve around the development of statistical models for epidemiologic data, clinical epidemiology, and health outcomes. Shongkour 's ultimate career aspiration is to pursue a role in academia or within a research agency as an epidemiologist.

Zebunnesa Zeba is a dedicated public health enthusiast, transitioned from her role as an educator at Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh, to pursue a PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the School of Public Health, University of Memphis. With a background in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and a Master of Public Health, she has experience in researching diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic kidney disease. Now, she is willing to deepen her understanding of epidemiological genetics and health informatics. Zeba chose the University of Memphis because of its excellent reputation in public health, perfectly aligning with her interests. Her goal is to contribute by testing new tools and interventions for disease prevention, aiming to improve global health.

Liz obtained her bachelor's degree in Music with a minor in Criminal Justice from the University of Memphis in 2021. During her tenure at the university, she held positions as a teaching assistant at Campus School and worked as a freelance videographer/photographer, primarily collaborating with musicians in the Memphis region. Subsequently, Liz returned to the University of Memphis to pursue a master's degree in Communication with a specialization in Film and Video Production.
In May 2023, Liz was recruited by Dr. Nichole Saulsberry-Scarboro to join the PH-IDEAS Experiential Learning Program as a Graduate Assistant for the School of Public Health. Together with her colleague Matthew Horton, Liz assumed the responsibility of developing the curriculum for the program, which showcases the efforts of ten high school students, all of whom are from the Memphis area. Additionally, she plays a vital role in capturing content for the learning program and is actively engaged in editing a short documentary that highlights the successful completion of the program's initiatives.