People: Behavioral and Community Health

Sumayya A. Al-Mansur is a PhD student who is also a Nigerian medical doctor with a strong background in HIV clinical mentorship and developmental health. Passionate about health communication, literacy, and equity, she works to empower communities through innovative educational programs and patient-centred care. Growing up in Nigeria and witnessing healthcare challenges fueled a dedication to behavioural health, focusing on the critical role of behaviour in health outcomes. Committed to fostering a more equitable healthcare system, Dr. Sumayya strives to ensure everyone has the knowledge and tools to make informed health decisions and lead healthy lives.  salmansu@umd.edu 

Jessica Anane (she/her) is a PhD student in Behavioral & Community Health and a Graduate Research Assistant in the Global Mental Health and Addiction Program (GMAP) located in the UMD Department of Psychology. She received her BA in Health Administration and Policy at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and her MPH in Prevention and Community Health at The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Her research interests are in mental health, substance use, and community-level interventions for minoritized individuals in urban communities, and she is passionate about the revitalization of impoverished neighborhoods. Jessica has extensive experience working in substance use and addictions research in both urban and rural settings and has been involved in community initiatives that work to improve access to health services for people in underserved areas. In her free time, Jessica enjoys hiking, spending time in nature, and trying new cuisines. janane@umd.edu

Jordan K. Aquino (he/him) is a PhD student in Behavioral & Community Health and a Graduate Research Assistant at the CDC-funded, Prevention Research Center (PRC). He is also a Lecturer in the Department of Public Health at California State University, Fullerton, where he earned his BS in Health Science (and minor in Chemistry) and MPH in Health Promotion & Disease Prevention. Prior to his doctoral studies at the University of Maryland, he was the Center Director of the Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Center and Project Director/Co-Investigator a 10-year longitudinal study investigating the physical and mental statuses of older adults living with and without fibromyalgia training over 200 transdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate students. Mr. Aquino has been a NIMHD-funded Visiting Scholar at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, NCI-funded Visiting Scholar at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a CSU-funded Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan. He is currently working under the mentorship of Dr. Bradley Boekeloo at the UMD-PRC evaluating and disseminating a mental health provider cultural competency training with sexual and gender diverse clients. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods and grounded in intersectionality, minority stress, and social support theories, Mr. Aquino’s research interests span the sexual and mental health of LGBTQ+ people, substance use, and HIV prevention/U=U. jkaquino@umd.edu 

Ariel Balaban, MHS (she/her) is a Teaching Assistant and PhD student in Behavioral and
Community Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health and earned a Master
of Health Science from the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society at Johns Hopkins
University Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has a strong interest in bridging the gap
between data science and effective digital health communication, particularly with increasing
accessibility, sensitivity, and acceptability of health information. She has worked as a researcher in a variety of areas including overdose prevention and response, COVID-19 prevention, vaccine hesitancy, tobacco control, and improving health outcomes for populations susceptible to HIV. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in public health from American University in 2019, where she minored in graphic design and first realized a love for both health science and visual communication. In her free time, she enjoys playing on a soccer team in Baltimore, doing hardware projects, drawing and crosswords. abalaban@umd.edu 

Leena Moses is a Teaching Assistant and graduated in Spring 2018 from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, focusing on community health, obesity prevention, and health communications. While at UMD, she interned for two years at the Food and Drug Administration in College Park, where she worked with strategic communications in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Daniel managed the weekly media summary report and developed briefs from scientific publications. She also worked as a research assistant for Dr. Hee-Jung Song in the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, where she did data collection and conducted a literature review on Older Americans Act nutrition programs. Daniel also completed her Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) in Human Nutrition at Johns Hopkins University in May 2020. While at Johns Hopkins, she conducted formative research in Baltimore City on the challenges faced by a non-profit grocery store. She is now a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health. She is currently interested in food insecurity in higher education. When she has free time, she enjoys hanging out with her family and friends. ldaniel1@umd.edu

Alana Ewen is a PhD candidate in Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health and a Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training at the University of Michigan. She is an American Diabetes Association Scholar, has received formal training in Mixed Methods, and training in "Emotional Well-Being & Physical Health," taught by faculty in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health at University College London. She is the recipient of the Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship. Her research focuses on how racial discrimination-related stress experienced by Black adults impacts the onset and self-management of type 2 diabetes. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Health and Society from the University of Rochester, and Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health. aewen@umd.edu

Alexis S. Hunter (she/her) is a Teaching Assistant and a PhD student in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health. Alexis earned her BA in Psychology from Michigan State University with specializations in Health Promotion and Bioethics, Humanities, and Society. She completed her MA in Community Psychology and Social Change at the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining the University, she worked within an urban-metropolitan university with health and racial disparities in chronic diseases (asthma, diabetes, and HIV/STI). Alexis is passionate about her work within health and racial disparities, substance use, sexuality, and HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention. She has extensive experience as a qualitative researcher, working inside urban and rural communities. She has worked as a Research Project Manager as well as a HIV test counselor and prevention specialist in the Metro Detroit Area. She is interested in finding creative and innovative ways to use community engaged research to structure socio-behavioral and sexual health interventions for adolescent and emerging adults to address the gaps that exist for understanding sexual and gender minority health disparities. huntera5@terpmail.umd.edu

Angshuman Kashyap (he/him) is a doctoral student in Behavioral and Community Health and a UMD Flagship Fellow. Passionate about art, health communication, and global health, he combines these interests to creatively look at health issues. Previously, Angshuman worked as a Program Manager at the Center for Communication and Change - India and as a Consultant with the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs in India. He has worked in the areas of maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, vaccine hesitancy, breast and cervical cancer, road safety, tobacco cessation, disaster risk reduction, child marriage, and mHealth applications. Angshuman is a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Global Public Health Scholars program and a freelance illustrator experienced in developing public health illustrations. He enjoys playing badminton. Angshuman holds an MPH from the Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, and a BSc in Life Sciences from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India.akshyap@umd.edu 

Bola Kushima is a Teaching Assistant and has a long-standing passion for seeing the translation of public health knowledge to global actions that impact the health of populations. Her specific interests are in infectious disease, and maternal and child health. She also thoroughly enjoys administration and business development. She speaks 1 more language aside from English. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and learning new things. okushimo@umd.edu

Clark Lee (he/him) has been a PhD student in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health since 2015. He is currently a Senior Research Associate with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine supporting the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. cjlee@umd.edu

David Liendo (he/him) is a first-year PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant in the Behavioral and Community Health program at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. His research focuses on enhancing health interventions for Latinx communities in response to COVID-19. David also serves as a Data Analyst for the CDC-Esperanza Hope For All Vaccine Program at UnidosUS, managing COVID-19 data and supporting strategic data visualization for CDC-funded affiliates. Previously, he worked at the Fairfax County Department of Health, conducting epidemiological research to address COVID-19 challenges and vaccine inequity among Latinos. David holds a Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Research in Biology and Society from Cornell University and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from Brown University. He is dedicated to advancing health equity and improving the well-being of underserved communities. dliendo@umd.edu

Asli McCullers is a 2nd year PhD student in the Behavioral and Community Health Department at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a Research Assistant supporting the Community Health Awareness, Messages and Prevention (CHAMP) Lab. Asli’s work strives to interrupt the pathway to health inequity by addressing the dynamic array of health challenges faced by adolescents and emerging adults of marginalized backgrounds. Her research has included foci in cancer, cardiovascular disease, reproductive health, digital health and mental health. Additionally, Asli works at MedStar Health Research Institute in the Center for Health Equity Research as a Senior Research Associate. Her work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals, including the American Journal of Public Health. Previously, she received her MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Delaware, her post-baccalaureate from University of Massachusetts Medical School, and her BS in Biology and Music Performance from Towson University. amccull5@umd.edu

Abby Pollock (she/her) is a Graduate Research Assistant and doctoral student in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health. She earned a Master of Health Science from the Department of Mental Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research focuses on the impact of social determinants on aging trajectories in African American older adults. She is particularly interested in utilizing a life course approach to understand the effect of adverse life experiences on cognitive decline and dementias in racially diverse older adults. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with a minor in music from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. In her free time, Abby enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog, Henry. apolloc2@umd.edu

Tiffany Saaverda (she/her) serves as the Director of Global Oncology and Strategic Initiatives for VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center (Massey) and has 15+ years of experience in global public health, research administration, and oncology research and development in community, academic, and industry settings. Before joining Massey, Tiffany was a consultant with the Huron Consulting Group, providing subject matter expertise to emerging and NCI-designated Cancer Centers in various areas, including strategic planning, change management, implementation science, and Cancer Center Support Grant (NCI P30) strategies and applications. As a PhD student within the Behavioral and Community Health Program at the UMD School of Public Health, Tiffany aims to focus on community-engaged research to address systemic or structural inequities in cancer outcomes. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, respectively. tsaaved1@umd.edu

Bryan Shannon (he/him) is a graduate research and teaching assistant and a PhD student in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health. He received his BS in Health Education and Promotion from Oklahoma State University and received his Master of Public Health degree from the University of Central Oklahoma where he served as a graduate research assistant and mentor for many research teams within the department. Bryan is passionate about human sexuality and men's health, particularly in African Americans. His research portfolio includes infectious diseases, substance use, and nutrition. Bryan enjoys music, watching football and exercising.. Bshanno3@umd.edu

MegAnn Smith (she/her) is the Robin Mockenhaupt Endowed Distinguished Graduate Fellow for the Office of Public Health Practice and Community Engagement. She joined the UMD SPH to work toward her PhD in Behavioral and Community Health in the fall of 2022. She received her BS in Biology and Health Sciences from Guilford College and MPH from The Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Most recently, MegAnn worked for the North Carolina Division of Public Health where she strived to center lived experiences and advance equity in injury and violence prevention. She is dedicated to dismantling systems of oppression through authentic community engagement and power sharing. MegAnn grounds her public health practice in cultural humility, radical listening, and a commitment to equity. megannsm@umd.edu 

Kenan Zamore (he/him) is a PhD student and an Epidemiologist focused on population level health dynamics. My Interests include injury epidemiology, behavioral health/SUDs, health disparities and informatics. I am interested in applying public health surveillance techniques to non-traditional public health problems ( most notably violence prevention and substance misuse disorders )and using surveillance data to inform public policy and intervention efforts, and to attack barriers to the routine exchange of vital data. kzamore@umd.edu

Hawa Racine Bangoura is a MPH student in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. I hold a bachelor's degree in biology on the premedical track. My passion for public health ignited in 2020 when I began organizing fundraisers and donations to support underserved communities, particularly in maternities and orphanages, in Conakry, Guinea. This initiative, which I aim to formalize as a registered NGO by 2026, exposed me to the harsh realities faced by patients in Conakry and the systemic injustices embedded in healthcare systems. This eye-opening experience motivated me to delve deeper into public health, researching the challenges faced by underserved communities both in the United States and globally. I am dedicated to understanding and dismantling barriers to healthcare access, promoting health literacy, and advocating for preventive care for marginalized populations worldwide. My interests also include exploring the social determinants of health, health disparities, and the impact of health policies on vulnerable populations. Pursuing a master's degree in public health at the University of Maryland provides me with the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to drive meaningful change in public health. hbangou1@umd.edu 

Fatoumata Diallo (she/her) is a dedicated public health professional and current MPH student in Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland, expected to graduate in May 2025. She is passionate about sexual and reproductive health for West African women. Fatoumata holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences with a Minor in Data Science from Rhode Island College. Her professional experience includes roles such as Graduate Assistant, Membership Analyst, and Residential Behavioral Specialist, highlighting her versatility and commitment to community health improvement. She has also served as a Health Volunteer Trainee with the Peace Corps in Senegal. Proficient in multiple languages and data analysis tools, Fatoumata is skilled at addressing complex health challenges. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and reading. fdiallo3@umd.edu

Demi Morris (they/them) is a MPH student in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health. Demi’s public health journey began here at the University of Maryland, where they obtained a Bachelor’s in Public Health Science. While at UMD, they established a strong foundation in program development and facilitation as a Health Promotion and Wellness Services student employee. After graduating, Demi utilized these skills at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., working to educate students and community members on making informed health decisions. In 2022 Demi established an independent consulting business, where they develop and facilitate sexual health workshops. Demi currently works in the University Health Center as the Coordinator for Substance Use and Harm Reduction, where they serve as the advisor for Terps for Recovery, provide overdose response trainings, and coordinate student outreach. In their spare time, Demi enjoys reading, camping, and silversmithing. targeted towards youth and young adults. gmorris@umd.edu

Shayna Shor, CHES (she/they) is a MPH student in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health from the University of Maryland School of Public Health, which they earned with high honors. Shayna works full time for the University of Maryland as an Undergraduate Program Coordinator and Academic Advisor in the Department of Government and Politics, but has held multiple different positions on campus, in both the Division of Student Affairs and the Division of Academic Affairs. These various experiences have grown her passion for unique college populations and hands-on work with the university community. Shayna’s specific areas of interest are health promotion and wellness for university students and university systems to support diverse student wellbeing and is pursuing an MPH to greater develop their practical skills when working directly with students and other student-facing colleagues, through a public health lens. sshor@umd.edu

Mya Smith (she/her) is a second-year Accelerated BS/MPH student in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health at UMD. I am also a Graduate Assistant for the Grand Challenges: Pandemic Readiness Initiative (PRI) under SPH's Dr. Baur. I love public health because it's such a broad field and there's so much you can do with it, Throughout my undergraduate coursework at UMD, I became interested in community-based research and program implementation, health education, and health communications. I am also interested in maternal and reproductive health, especially for Black populations, and hope to do my MPH internship and capstone research in that field. I’m looking forward to this next year of my MPH and hopefully earning a job working at a community-based organization or non-profit that focuses on maternal and reproductive health interventions and programs. msmith74@umd.edu