Omolola E. Adepoju, Ph.D., M.P.H., is a health services researcher and clinical associate professor at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. She is responsible for teaching evidence-based medicine and research methods and serves as the director of research at the Humana Integrated Health Sciences Institute at the University of Houston. She is committed to equipping students with applied knowledge that demystifies research concepts and promotes experiential learning.

Adepoju’s career has spanned the government, academic and health care sectors. Her collective experiences have informed her approach to teaching and research, which connects the dots between policy, research and health care operations. For more than a decade, Adepoju’s work has addressed chronic-disease management, value-based care and the use of predictive algorithms in identifying and managing at-risk individuals. Her research uses advanced analytics and robust methodologies to uncover patterns that promote individual and population health outcomes to alleviate cost, quality and access-to-care issues in vulnerable populations. Adepoju has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles in this field.

Adepoju earned a Bachelor of Science in physiotherapy from the University of Lagos, a master’s degree in public health from Emory University and a doctorate in health services research from Texas A&M University. She was a postdoctoral scholar at the Texas A&M Clinical Science and Translational Research Institute, which included work at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center’s Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety in Houston. After completing her postdoctoral scholarship, she became an assistant professor at Texas State University. In 2015 to 2016, she served as chair of the Disparities Interest Group at AcademyHealth. Prior to joining the Fertitta Family College of Medicine, Adepoju was associate director of health economics at UnitedHealth Group.

David Curtis, Ph.D., is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences and chief behavioral health officer for the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine.

He is responsible for developing an integrated behavioral health curriculum for undergraduate medical students and leading the development of an in-house federally qualified health center look-alike to serve as a community primary care clinic. He also leads a team of supervisors and cohorts of advanced graduate students in psychology and social work and provides direct teaching to and supervision of clinical workers.

A licensed psychologist, he specializes in working with children and families across primary care, outpatient, and school settings.

Previously, Curtis served as the director of psychology training at the University of Texas Dell Medical School. In this role, he was responsible for advanced practicum, doctoral internship, and postdoctoral fellowship training in psychology, clinical implementation of parent management training for children with disruptive behavior disorders, and curriculum development and instruction for the college.

He also served as behavioral health director at Austin Health Partners and led the pediatric primary care psychology and ADHD behavioral therapy programs at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital.

Winner of several funded awards, Curtis’s research focuses on improving behavioral interventions for children with disruptive behavior problems, primary care based behavioral health services and physician education, and reflective practices in clinical supervision and training.

Curtis earned a doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Houston. His undergraduate degree in psychology is from Baylor University and his master’s degree in marriage and family therapy is from St. Mary’s University.  He is a former Fulbright Scholar to New Zealand and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Medical School/Children’s Hospital in Boston.

Linda Davis is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. She is an experienced assistant legal administrator in labor and employment law. But after 25 years in the corporate world, she answered a new calling and currently serves as pastor of Boynton Chapel Methodist Church in Houston. A church that has a rich history dating back to 1880. Rev. Davis received her Bachelor of Business Management degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from LeTourneau University in Texas. She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University.

As a woman of vision, Rev. Davis is revered for her leadership, integrity, and compassion. She places a strong emphasis on evangelism and missions, along with congregational growth and development. She has great passion for community engagement and social justice issues and is committed to leveraging the strengths of research and faith towards improving the social determinants of health in underserved communities.

Rev. Davis currently serves on the University of Houston Health Family Care Center Board. In addition, she serves as the Chairperson for the Faith in Action Workgroup of the Emancipation Economic Development Council and a member of the Steering Committee of the Northern Third Ward Implementation Project.

She is married to Ronald L. Davis and the mother of one son.

en is West Street recovery’s Co-Director of Organizing, Research and Development. He has worked with WSR since its founding and has helped to launch the Harvey home repair program, found the Harvey Forgotten Survivors Caucus, and initiated community research efforts. He is a graduate of the LBJ school of Public Affairs where he studied the intersection of poverty and the environment and alternative forms of governance. He has done organizing work on environmental justice, and economic justice since participating in resistance to the G-20 Summit in Toronto, ON in 2009.

Alicia Neal nonprofit trailblazer with deep roots in New Orleans and is a proud Houston resident. Alicia has a heart for the community, and it is evident in her experience of 25 years of leading high performing teams and holding leadership roles in notable organizations. Her proven track record encompasses raising significant funds to support youth advocacy, sustainable community development, equitable economic development initiatives, and arts education. Alicia’s true gift is connecting people and resources with a shared vision that brings about positive transformation that uplifts communities and marginalized groups.
This strategic thinker and doer presently utilizes her diverse skill set as the Executive Director at the Emancipation Economic Development Council (EEDC). Under Alicia’s leadership, the EEDC has grown the operating budget, programs and organizational capacity. Her tenacity and focus led to the EEDC’s successful launch of three key nationally connected programs, that serve the Third Ward Community. Alicia is a champion of equity in education, community revitalization, entrepreneurship and workforce development.  She is also a strong believer in the resilient nature of the Third Ward. After being negatively impacted by redlining and facing gentrification, underserved communities can reclaim their power, social influence, and prosperity, through the implementation of innovative economic development models that benefit all residents. Alicia says, “I am fortunate to serve the Third Ward Community and be a part of the revitalization that is overdue and work alongside residents and business owners in embracing a shared vision that does not leave anyone behind but welcomes all to the table”.

David A. Northern, Sr. is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Houston Housing Authority (HHA), one of the nation’s largest housing authorities, serving more than 60,000 low-income Houstonians with 200 plus full-time employees and more than 100 private management staff. HHA’s annual budget is about $300 million with an inventory that includes a federally funded portfolio of 24,000 units and 22,000 non-federal units.

His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Ball State University and a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University. Additionally, Northern completed the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government 18-month Community Development program.

Mr. Northern has dedicated his longstanding and reputable career of 26 years to the public housing industry. A demonstrated leader in the affordable housing sector, he is the immediate past President of the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association, an organization of 1,900 member housing agencies representing more than 1.9 million low-income housing units throughout the U.S. 

Mr. Northern has proven experience as a proactive leader in federal housing assistance programs, including urban planning and policy development. In 2011 he was selected as a member of a housing delegation that traveled to South Africa to educate and advise their government leadership. In 2016 he was a speaker at the White House Convening on the proposed HUD smoke-free rule in public housing. In 2019 he was appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to the Illinois State Housing Task Force and was elected to the Illinois Housing Council’s Board of Directors.

Hanadi Rifai is Moores Professor of Environmental Engineering at UH. She directs the Hurricane Resilience Research Institute (HuRRI). Her recent research activities have focused on the cascading impacts of severe events and natural hazards on infrastructure, ecosystems, and human health. Her laboratory is focused on field monitoring and simulation modeling of the fate and transport of pollutants in the environment including pathogens, dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyls, and PFAS.

Brenda is West Street Recovery’s Co-Director of Organizing, Research, and Disaster Prep. She started volunteering with West Street Recovery after Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 and joined the staff in January 2023. She leads community research of drainage infrastructure systems, and is co-coordinator of the Hub House, Solar, and Flood Insurance Programs. Brenda graduated from the University of Houston in 2022 with a degree in Architecture. Brenda also organizes with the No Border Wall Coalition in Laredo.

Mary E. Tipton, MPH, CIC, is a dedicated and experienced Program Manager currently working with the Humana Integrated Health System Sciences Institute at the University of Houston College of Medicine since 2023. She holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

In her role as Program Manager, Mary oversees various aspects of the institute’s initiatives, demonstrating a commitment to advancing health system sciences. Prior to her current position, she served as an Epidemiologist with the Texas Department of State Health Services in San Antonio from March 2020 to 2023.

During her tenure as an Epidemiologist, she investigated all Texas reportable diseases occurring within multiple service areas, conducted outbreak follow-up activities, and provided valuable consultation to childcare facilities on infection prevention procedures. Mary played a pivotal role in monitoring and investigating individuals with potential exposure to pathogens of concern.

Mary’s expertise also extended to coordinating the Influenza surveillance program for the San Antonio service area. Acting as the local subject matter expert, she handled inquiries, generated weekly Influenza and COVID-19 activity reports, and implemented new codes for processing raw data into cohesive report documents. Her dedication was further evident in the performance of quality assurance analysis on surveillance efforts to create improvement plans for subsequent seasons.

In her role as Deputy Investigations Branch Manager, during the COVID-19 emergency response, Mary provided subject matter expertise for junior epidemiologists, managed outbreaks in manufacturing facilities, and performed exposure risk assessments. She also served as Team Lead for a group of 10 Case Investigators, overseeing daily operations and handling case investigations for both COVID-19 and other reportable diseases.

Rev. White is an Elder in Full Connection as a member of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. After working 22 years in the  corporate world as an Executive Underwriter for Commercial Insurance, she accepted her call to ministry in the United Methodist Church and served as associate pastor at her home church, Covenant Glenn UMC, Missouri City , Texas.  She was appointed to her first church as senior pastor in 2005, and currently serves as senior pastor at Trinity East UMC, Houston, Texas.

Rev. White is committed to serving God and dedicated to following God’s lead. She has always cared deeply about the spiritual needs and growth of others. Through her ministry, people are empowered and liberated to fulfill their God-given destiny.  She has a heart for being a change agent in whatever community God has placed her.  She strongly believes “we are our brothers and sisters keeper.”

Rev. White currently serves as President for the Third Ward Community Cloth Fund Organization. She is a board member of the Emancipation Economic Development Council and participates with the Community Land Trust and Housing Development committee for this organization. She is a member of the Third Ward Assistance Ministries Task Force, the Trinity East Village CDC, the Community Research Advisory Board for the Health Research Institute at the University of Houston, member of the Third Ward Cultural Arts District Advisory Board, and a member of the Third Ward Community Advisory Board for United Way.

Rev. White  has served on many Conference and District boards and committees such as the Central South District Leadership Team, District Board of Ordained Ministry, and Conference Board of Ordained Ministry.  She was the Chairperson for Certified Mentors, Conference Relations Chairperson and currently serves as a member of the Clergy Leadership Team.

Rev. White earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from LeTourneau University and a master’s degree in Divinity from the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. 

Rev. White is married to Leroy White and has two children and four grand children who are the joy of her life.

LeChauncy D. Woodard, M.D., M.P.H. is director of the Humana Integrated Health System Sciences Institute at the University of Houston and a Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine professor. Woodard is responsible for leading the Humana Institute’s mission and contributes to paving the future of research and innovation for Fertitta Family College of Medicine.

Woodard is nationally recognized for her extensive research aimed at understanding and medically serving ethnically diverse patients and the socioeconomic factors that influence health outcomes. Her passion for exceptional health care is evident in her active contributions to medical journals, peer-review workshops and published research in over 35 publications. Woodard’s track record of primary care research, teaching and student mentorship highlight her passion for equipping future primary care providers with the latest advances in medicine to ensure their career success.

Woodard earned her bachelor’s from Texas A&M University and her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. She completed her internal medicine residency and primary care research at Baylor College of Medicine and earned a master’s of public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health.