Program Leadership
Aisha S. Dickerson, PhD
Faculty Lead
Dr. Dickerson is an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology with several years of experience in diversity and inclusion advocacy. As former Chair of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Dean’s Advisory Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, she led an effort to develop a strategic plan for improving diversity, inclusion, and belonging. As a product of several diversity initiatives, Dr. Dickerson has also experienced many programs with varying success rates. During her transition into her current faculty position, she recognized the need for professional development and networking activities reflecting the unique experiences of underrepresented groups at JHBSPH and collaborated with students and postdocs to develop the LEARNED program. In addition to her overarching research interest in environmental risk factors for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, Dr. Dickerson investigates environmental justice issues in vulnerable populations along with health disparities related to cognitive assessment and service provision.
Roland J. Thorpe, PhD
Faculty Co-Lead
Dr. Thorpe is Associate Vice Provost of Faculty Diversity, a professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society, and a national leader in seeking to understand how social determinants of health impact race- and SES-related disparities across the life course in functional and health status of community-dwelling adults with a current focus on African-American men. He is also PI on an NIA R01 grant that examines that the role of psychosocial stress and longevity in African-American families. As a Provost’s Fellow, he worked with the Offices of Faculty Affairs and Research to design skills training modules for undergraduate research and develop a mentoring program to train graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, and faculty in the art of mentoring undergraduate students.
Dorian is a fourth year PhD candidate in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. With interest in vector borne and parasitic diseases, his research focuses on the molecular mechanism of action for various insect repellents that are currently being used in mosquito control. Before coming to Hopkins, he worked on his MPH at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health where he was heavily involved in diversity initiatives and even worked in the UC Berkeley Office of Graduate Diversity. Throughout his graduate education, he has valued outreach and support of other underrepresented minorities and looks forward to continuing this work through the LEARNED initiative.
Mr. Bolling works collaboratively to increase the recruitment, retention, and mentorship of students and postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds. He coordinates initiatives to ensure that all JHBSPH constituents are valued, respected, and nurtured, inclusive of their identities. Prior to joining the Bloomberg School, Mr. Bolling supported diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice efforts at various higher education institutions, most recently Towson University.
Founding Initiative Leaders
Alyssa M. Agnes, PhD is staff scientist at Propagenix and a former postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. Her current research focuses on the effects of temperature on the respiratory epithelial response to influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition to her work in the laboratory, Dr. McCoy advocates for diversity and inclusion in bench sciences and collaborates with organizations to run S.T.E.M camps and workshops for underrepresented minority youth in the community.
Ohemaa Poku, PhD is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia received her doctoral degree from the Department of Mental Health. Her research interests include the cross-cultural interpretations of illness and how stigma impacts access to psychosocial care, particularly for persons living with HIV.