Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions
Dr. Beatrice Adderley-Kelly is a full professor with over 30 years of teaching and administrative experience in higher education. She currently serves as Interim Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Health Sciences at Howard University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from A & T State University, Master of Science in Medical Surgical Nursing from the University of Maryland, a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies and a PhD degree from Howard University. Dr. Kelly has devoted her entire academic career to promoting and advancing the academic achievement of minority undergraduate and graduate nursing students. Her teaching experience includes teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels where she has taught all levels of students, mentored students, and served as the major thesis advisor for more than 25 graduate students. She has held numerous administrative positions including department chairman, assistant dean for undergraduate and graduate programs, and Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs at the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Health Sciences at Howard University. Dr. Kelly’s research and scholarly activities include publications of chapters in books, numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and other nursing publications. She has conducted research in the areas of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, obesity, health promotion, and cognitive style and student achievement. She has made numerous professional presentations on health issues, curriculum development, professionalism, health promotion and cancer research. Dr. Kelly has conducted numerous faculty development workshops on curriculum design and development, teaching strategies and test construction. She has served as curriculum consultant and an accreditation site visitor for NLN and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Dr. Kelly is a member of a number of professional organizations, including ANA, DCNA where she served as Vice President and Secretary; NLN, DCLN were she served as President and member of the Board of Directors; the Black Nurses Association; Sigma Xi; Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing; Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Dr. Kelly’s areas of research interest are: Cancer prevention and detection in African Americans with an emphasis on colorectal and breast cancers; health promotion throughout the life span; obesity in African Americans and cognitive style and critical thinking among students.
Debra D. Roberts, Ph.D. is a Developmental Psychologist in the psychology department at Howard University. Dr. Roberts’ primary area of research involves examining various aspects of culture and ethnicity as they impact the relationship between psychosocially toxic environments (poverty, discrimination, trauma, etc.) and psychosocial well-being among children and adolescents. She has served as Principal Investigator on a number of government and university-funded grants that implement and evaluate intervention programs for children in urban communities. She has also served as Research Coordinator for a longitudinal study on violence prevention that examined the influence of community violence on Head Start families, and helped to develop a community-based violence intervention program. Dr. Roberts also consulted on a large multi-site project examining the impact of poverty and ecology on the development of African-American preschoolers. In addition, she has been invited to serve as an evaluation consultant on projects for Centers for Disease Control (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., Washington School of Psychiatry, and several community-based organizations (CBOs). In her capacity as both professor and researcher/evaluator, she has trained and supervised research assistants, developed evaluation instruments, constructed both qualitative and quantitative methodological designs, facilitated focus groups, conducted group and individual structured interviews, analyzed data, and delivered final reports. Dr. Roberts has worked with diverse populations, but has unique research experience with programs that target low-income, urban pre-school children and adolescents of color who are placed at risk.
Dr. Steven Chesbro is an associate professor and is chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at Howard University. s Dr. Steven Chesbro is an associate professor and is chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at Howard University. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, a Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy, a Master of Science degree in college teaching, a Master of Health Science degree in physical therapy, a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, a Doctor of Education degree in occupational and adult education, and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Dr. Chesbro has had 15 years of clinical practice experience, and is currently practicing in an acute care setting at Baltimore Washington Medical Center. He became board certified as a geriatric clinical specialist in 2002. Dr. Chesbro served as an assistant professor of rehabilitation sciences at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center prior to joining the faculty at Howard University in 2001. His research interests focuses on topics related to aging and education. He has had a number of publications related to his interests, and has made presentations nationally and internationally. Dr. Chesbro served as issue editor for the October-December issue of Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, which focused on educational interventions.
Dr. Chesbro’s areas of research interest include educational gerontology and geriatrics with an emphasis on education-based interventions (i.e., health promotion, disease prevention, and patient education) and teaching and learning in health science education programs. His current research activities focus on assessing the effect of learning strategies on the acquisition of motor skills; development of a learning strategies’ assessment for patients in healthcare situations; and healthcare providers’ opinions on the value of incorporating learning strategies into the patient education process.
Veronica A. Clarke-Tasker, Ph.D., R.N., M.B.A., M.P.H., is an Associate Professor of Nursing in the College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Health Sciences at Howard University. As a health care professional, Dr. Clarke-Tasker is committed to a teaching and research career with a long-standing interest in cancer prevention and early detection in minority populations. Her interest in cancer prevention began when she was a staff nurse in a major urban teaching hospital in 1979 and where she saw a large number of her patients dying from cancer. Dissatisfied with the high cancer incidence and mortality of cancer within the community, Dr. Clarke-Tasker enrolled in a master’s degree program with a primary focus on oncology. For her thesis research, she examined Black Americans Image of Cancer. The findings in her research were later used in the development of oncology services at a major hospital in New Jersey. Serving as the first African American oncology clinical nurse specialist, Dr. Clarke-Tasker was the only nurse member of the oncology team who actively recruited patients for clinical trials and other research activities. She was also directly responsible for the teaching and supervision of staff caring for oncology patients. She worked with the American Cancer Society and other organizations focusing on the special needs of minority populations with cancer. Dr. Clarke-Tasker has lectured widely on the topics of cancer prevention and early detection for minority populations. She has also served as faculty on National Cancer Institute and Oncology Nursing Society research grants for the purpose of educating nurses who work with minority populations. Dr. Clarke-Tasker is the author of several research articles and textbook chapters.
Dr. Clarke-Tasker’s dissertation research examined the relationship of African Americans’ socioeconomic status to their perceptions of cancer. To increase her understanding of cancer in minority populations, Dr. Clarke-Tasker obtained a Masters in Public Health from George Washington University’s School of Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program. She also obtained a Masters in Business Administration to help increase her understanding of health care finance. Dr. Clarke-Tasker was a recipient of the NINR Mentored Research Scientist Development Award for her research project entitled, Prostate Cancer Screening Program for African American Men. She was also a Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and is the President of the Greater Washington Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association.
Dr. Rodney D. Green, Ph.D., is Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics Howard University. Dr. Green, serves as Executive Director of the Howard University Center for Urban Progress, a unit designed to strengthen the University's community service, urban research and community development agenda at local, federal, and international levels. His primary research interest is Urban Economics (Community based research).
Felecia Moore Banks, Ph.D., OTR/L, is an Associate Professor (tenured) and Chairperson of the Department of Occupational Therapy at Howard University. She presents with 23 years of clinical and professional experience in occupational therapy. During her tenure at Howard University, she also served as Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs in the Division of Allied Health Sciences. Dr. Banks is an expert in occupational therapy physical disabilities and is certified in Neurodevelopmental Treatment Techniques. She presents with extensive experience in curriculum development, student leadership, and “at-risk students.” Dr. Banks earned her baccalaureate degree from the Department of Occupational Therapy in 1983, her Masters degree from the department of Curriculum and Instruction in Special Education in 1991 from Howard University, and her Doctor Philosophy Degree in Adult Learning and Human Resource Development at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2000. Dr. Banks is the recipient of many professional awards such as Arthritis Foundation Distinguished Service Award, Most Outstanding Service, National Society of Allied Health, Most Outstanding Chairperson Award, Division of Allied Health Sciences. Dr. Banks currently, serves as editor of the Journal of the National Society of Allied Heath.
Anthony K. Wutoh, Ph.D., R.Ph. is an Associate Professor of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy Sciences at Howard University College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Health Sciences. He is the principal Investigator of the Center for Minority Health Services Research (AHQR Funded) and the Co-Director of the Center of Excellence (HRSA Funded) at Howard University. Dr. Wutoh received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 1987. He then completed a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and a Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacy Administration (Pharmocoepidemiology) at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Dr. Wutoh has varied research interests including pharmacoepidemiology, outcomes research, and evaluation of large population databases, particularly in the area of AIDS and HIV infection in older patients. Dr. Wutoh has received several million dollars in grant funding from several sources including NIH, CDC, HRSA, AHRQ, and foundations, and has published several research articles on HIV disease, medication adherence, disease state management, and various other topics in respected research journals.
Dr. Wutoh has been a practicing pharmacist in Maryland since 1990 and has worked in various settings including hospital, retail, consulting, and community pharmacy. In 1993, he served as a policy intern with the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging where he directed the evaluation of economic impact of health care reform on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. His other areas of interest and expertise include minority access to novel medical therapies, medication compliance, post-marketing assessment, clinical trial protocol and evaluation, survival analysis, and the role of stress in the functioning of health care professionals. Dr. Wutoh is also the recipient of various awards and acclamations including the 1998 Excellence Award for Professors in the School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Health Sciences.
Dr. Pauline M. Green is a faculty member in the Howard University Division of Nursing and has been with the Division since 1986. She is currently serving as Interim Dean of the Division of Nursing. Dr. Green received a BSN from Cornell University, an MSN form the Catholic University of America, and a Ph.D. from Howard University. Her teaching responsibilities have included Medical Surgical Nursing, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, and Nursing Theory. Dr. Green’s areas of research interest are colorectal cancer; knowledge, perceptions and screening behaviors of African Americans and environmental nursing diagnoses. She has published a number of papers in professional journals and has made several presentations at national meetings.
Dr. Allan Johnson is a Professor of Nutrition and Chairman of the Department of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Health Sciences. He holds a B.Sc. degree (First Class Honors) in Chemistry from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in International Nutrition from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
At Howard University, Dr. Johnson teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Community Nutrition, International Nutrition, Techniques in Community Nutrition, and Evaluation of Nutritional Status. He is an active researcher, having received competitive research grants from the Howard University Research and Development Program, the Howard University Faculty Research Support Program in the Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Johnson’s research interests
Sherry B. Scott, Ph.D., OTR/L, is an associate professor and academic fieldwork coordinator in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Howard University. Dr. Scott obtained a Ph.D. in organization communication with an emphasis on health communication. She has focused her scholarly efforts in the area of healthcare service delivery to underserved populations in urban communities. As a component of this research, Dr. Scott has developed an interdisciplinary community-based healthcare course for allied health students. This state-of-the-art course incorporates a service learning approach to teaching and training students on communication and cultural competence skills necessary to more effectively assess and meet the healthcare needs of underserved populations in community-based settings. The course emerged from a project which was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant project was established to provide experiential learning opportunities for allied health students in various urban settings.
Dr. Scott’s and her multidisciplinary colleagues have utilized a quantitative approach in examining healthcare access and related issues for underserved populations. Her research has included studies of African American men and women in homeless shelters within the Washington, D.C. and Chicago metropolitan areas. In addition, Dr. Scott serves as a healthcare consultant for several homeless shelters in the Washington, D.C. area and has formed collaborative partnerships between Howard University and several community-based organizations. Dr. Scott has received funding for several internal and extramural grant projects that specifically address community partnerships and intervention research for underserved populations.
Dr. Mattie J. Tabron is an Associate Professor at Howard University in the Department of Radiation Therapy in the Radiation Oncology Department of the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Health and in the Department of Family and Community Medicine in the College of Medicine. She is the founding Chairman and Program Director for the first program in the United States to offer a B.S. degree in radiation therapy. Dr. Tabron is a Board Member and Past President of the National Society of Allied Health Sciences and Past President and Board Member of the D.C. Society of Radiologic Technologists. She was elected as the first radiation therapist in the United States to serve as a Trustee on the Board of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). She also served as a Team Chairman and Site Surveyor for the Joint Review Committee in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). Dr. Tabron is a Fellow of the American Society of Radioloic Technologists; a recipient of the Varian Award for outstanding contribution to ASRT; a recipient of the NAFEO Outstanding Alumni Award; A Kellogg Fellow in Educational Psychology and was recognized in Who’s Who among America’s Teachers in 2002 and 2003.
Dr. Tabron recently completed a four-year term as a peer review board member for the Radiation Therapist Journal, and continues to serve as a delegate in the House of Delegates for the ASRT. She received the Outstanding Research Award from the National Society of Allied Health Sciences for her research paper, Ethical Ideology: An Inquiry into Factors Affecting the Ethical Position of Selected Future Administrators and Practitioners. She served as Principal Investigator for the 5-year Special Improvement Grant Award funded by the Department of HEW; was a Grant Reviewer for the HRSA Bureau of Health Professions; and was awarded funding by Fogarty Minority International Research Training Program to conduct a pilot study on the Quality of Life of Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy at Korle-Bu Radiotherapy Cancer Center in Accra, Ghana. Included in this grant was the proposal for development of a Baccalaureate Degree Program in Radiation Therapy. Finally, Dr. Tabron has received several grants from Howard University; presented several scholarly papers at national meetings; served as a consultant throughout the world; and worked in Jamaica, Haiti, Tanzania, Malawi and Ghana.
Dr. Tabron’s areas of research interest include enhancing test taking skills; curriculum development, teaching and learning; quality of life for patients receiving radiation therapy; the social and psychological aspects of alcoholism and spirituality and medicine.
Kay T. Payne, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor at Howard University. She received her doctorate in Howard University in 1982. Dr. Payne is a noted expert in aspects of cultural diversity and communication disorders including diagnosis, treatment and bilingual issues. Her bilingual interests have been realized in many international journeys, most recently two Fulbright Fellowships in Egypt and India, as well as study and travel to Italy, China, Japan, Australia, Namibia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy, Russia and Ukraine. She has studied in such prestigious institutions as University of Hawaii East-West Center, University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, University of Iowa, University of San Diego and University of California-Berkeley and University of Pennsylvania. She has studied several languages including French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Otjiherero, Arabic and American Sign Language.
Dr. Payne was named Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in 1993 with citations for her numerous contributions to the profession in cultural diversity. She received the Scholar-Mentor Award from the National Black Association for Speech, Language and Hearing in 2004. She has taught courses in Language Development, Applied Sociolinguistics, Advanced Seminar in Research, Differential Diagnosis and Teaching Methods. She is a highly-sought speaker for conferences and workshops.
Research Interests: Sociolinguistics, cross-cultural and intra-cultural clinical methods.