46th MHC Planning Committee

The Minority Health Conference is a major undertaking led and organized by students and guided by a group of advisers.

Conference Co-Chairs

The co-presidents develop a vision for the Minority Health Conference, which includes the selection of a conference theme, setting the objectives and timeline for each of the sub-committees, and managing their progress throughout the planning process. They are responsible for general conference management, monitoring logistics including registration, budget management, and communication with all key stakeholders.

Mercy Adekola | Conference Co-Chair

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Mercy Adekola is a senior pursuing her BSPH in Environmental Health Science, with a commitment to social justice and equity. She is passionate about advancing public health at the intersection of environmental and oral health, driven by her vision of a world where everyone has the right to a healthy environment and access to quality care. Mercy is involved in research focused on improving water quality in healthcare settings and works as a dental assistant at Piedmont Health, a community health center dedicated to serving underserved populations. Her work highlights the often-overlooked link between environmental conditions and oral health, particularly in marginalized communities. Outside of academics, Mercy enjoys traveling, reading, fitness, and music.

Justin Wang | Conference Co-Chair

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Bio: Justin is a fourth year undergraduate in the Biostatistics BSPH program at Gillings. His interests lie in utilizing statistical methods to address public health issues and uncover health disparities, which he does as a research assistant for the UNC Institute for Environmental Health Solutions. As co-chair, he is excited to help shape the 46th Minority Health Conference, which he sees as a powerful platform for promoting health equity and novel public health solutions. He hopes this year’s discussions will spark meaningful conversations and action toward reducing health disparities. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, playing for the Carolina Ukulele Ensemble, and cheering for the Chicago Bulls.

Planning Committee Coordinators

They are responsible for all organizational elements of the Minority Health Conference and work closely with the Conference Co-Chairs and Committee Co-Chairs to ensure smooth operations and logistics. The Co-Coordinators oversee collaboration between all seven committees to ensure effective and efficient communication including taking meeting minutes, making sure each committee is on track, and sending out reminders/action items. The Planning Co-Coordinators also manage the website and assist with other logistical tasks such as coordinating meeting times, booking meeting spaces and organizing MHC social events. They play an important role in providing additional assistance to both Co-Chairs and the Committee Chairs throughout the planning process.

Godspower Mercy Lawal | Planning Co-Coordinator

Molade Otusheso | Planning Co-Coordinator

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Molade Otusheso is a Senior Undergraduate student at the Gillings School of Global Public Health majoring in Environmental Health Sciences with a focus on Health Biology. She is an aspiring physician, public health advocate and business woman. She has a strong passion and enthusiasm for rural and global health and is currently furthering those interests through working on her honors thesis with the UNC Water Institute. She is excited to be serving a second term on the MHC board, now in a leadership capacity, and looks forward to collaborating with the executive team to plan an exceptional conference.

Speakers Committee

The co-chairs oversee the work of the Speakers Committee which includes developing break-out session topics and identifying speakers for the conference breakout sessions. They arrange and organize all logistics pertaining to the creation of breakout sessions. The co-chairs work with the NC Institute for Public Health and committee members to coordinate interesting, engaging, and interactive sessions.

Ridha Masagazi | Speakers Co-Chair

Jordana Rockley | Speakers Co-Chair

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Jordana is a senior pursuing a BSPH in Environmental Health Sciences at UNC and a BA in Environmental Policy at Duke. As a pre-med student, she is deeply passionate about public health, policy, and medicine. Jordana’s journey into medicine was inspired by her personal experiences with the adverse effects of environmental contamination on human health. As a MHC Speakers Committee Co-Chair, she aims to engage stakeholders from diverse fields to advance discussions on health equity, particularly for minority communities that disproportionately bear the burden of environmental contamination and lack access to critical resources.

Communication Committee

The co-chairs manage the work of the Communication Committee which includes developing and marketing promotional materials for the Conference (e.g. flyers, email blasts, etc.). They craft standard language and coordinate all communications about the conference, such as notices to listservs, calls for posters, registration reminders, and webcast announcements.  They also brainstorm, organize, and implement advertising campaigns for social media accounts and communications with both on-campus and community organizations. This committee also manages the graphic designer and has creative control over the graphics and look/feel of conference materials.

Ngan Lee | Communications Co-Chair

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Ngan Le is a second-year undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill, pursuing studies in Economics and Chemistry. She proudly serves as the Communications Committee Co-Chair for the 46th Annual Minority Health Conference. Ngan is an undergraduate researcher with passions in health equity, sustainable entrepreneurship, and community-based intersectional activism. Outside of academics, she loves singing with her a cappella group Tar Heel Voices, experimenting with new recipes, and playing board games in her free time.

Wehazit Mussie | Communications Co-Chair

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Wehazit Mussie is a junior studying Medical Anthropology and History on a Pre-Dental track, aspiring to become a pediatric dentist while also pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH). She is one of the Co-Chairs of the Communications Committee and she is dedicated to promoting healthcare equity, particularly in the realm of nutrition. In her spare time, Wehazit enjoys making pottery, practicing yoga, and reading.

Exhibitors Committee

The co-chairs work with their committee to identify groups, organizations, and companies that match the conference theme that will exhibit materials on the day of the conference. The co-chairs also serve as the primary contact for exhibitors in terms of communicating logistical information. The goals of the committee are two-fold: 1) to generate revenue, as committing exhibitors will be required to purchase table space and 2) to give a platform to organizations whose work and mission are aligned with the conference theme or the conference’s broader goals.  

Inaya Abubakari | Exhibitors Co-Chair

Pronouns: She/They

Bio: Inaya is a third-year undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill pursuing a BSPH in Environmental Health Sciences with a minor in Chinese. She serves as the Exhibitors Committee Co-Chair for the 46th Annual Minority Health Conference. Inaya is an undergraduate researcher in the Fry Lab researching sleep metrics in the Extremely Low Gestational Age (ELGAN) study cohort. With a passion for understanding the distinct health burdens experienced by minority communities, they plan to pursue a PhD in Epidemiology after graduation from UNC Chapel Hill.

Ilakkiya Senthilkumar | Exhibitors Co-Chair

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Ilakkiya Senthilkumar is a second-year undergraduate intending to pursue a BSPH in Biostatistics with a minor in Medicine, Literature, and Culture. She is passionate about promoting health equity by contributing to the development of culturally-informed, data-driven policy. Guided by her advocacy experiences, Ilakkiya was motivated to join the MHC as a means to create change through connection and conversation. The MHC’s goal to cultivate an increased understanding and awareness of minority health provided just the opportunity. By fostering meaningful relationships with organizations aligned with the theme and goals of the MHC, Ilakkiya hopes to bridge curious students with valuable health equity efforts currently at work in the community.

Posters Committee

The co-chairs oversee the Poster Committee with responsibilities such as issuing a call for abstracts for poster presentations, reviewing and selecting poster abstracts for presentation at the conference, and serving as the primary contact for poster authors in terms of communicating logistical information.

Esha Agarwal | Posters Co-Chair

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Esha is a third-year pursuing a BSPH in Environmental Health Science and minoring in Chemistry. She is passionate about promoting health equity and studying the interdisciplinary health sciences. This is her third year on the MHC Planning Committee Board and is honored and excited to serve as Posters Committee Co-Chair. In her free time, Esha loves playing tennis, binging new TV shows, and trying new recipes!

Jenny Carpenter | Posters Co-Chair

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Jenny Carpenter is a second year MPH Global Health student at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is the Graduate Co-President of Gillings Student Government Association and is honored to serve on the MHC Committee for the 2024-2025 academic year as a Posters Co-Chair. Jenny is passionate about raising awareness of health disparities affecting marginalized communities and advocates for public health initiatives for the student body. Outside of academics, she loves to hang out in coffee shops and travel the world in her free time.

Fundraising Committee

The co-chairs organize the duties of the Fundraising Committee which solicits donations and sponsorships, both within UNC (e.g. departments, schools, and institutes) as well as from local and national foundations and corporations in order to cover the cost of the Conference. They devise a plan that allows for potential donors to be solicited in a timely manner, assign tasks to committee members in order to maximize the number of solicitations, and research and identify new potential donors (i.e. individuals, organizations, departments, schools, etc.).

Shamiso Kodzai | Fundraising Co-Chair

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Shamiso is a second year MPH Nutrition and Dietetics student. She has been involved in three MHC conferences as both an Exhibitor and Poster Co-Chair. Outside of the Minority Health Conference, she is interested in food access, nutrition equity, chronic disease prevention, and nutrition in pediatric populations. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and trying out new recipes.

Jayati Sridhar | Fundraising Co-Chair

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Jayati is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a BSPH in Nutrition with a minor in Biology. Her research interests are in maternal and child health, food is medicine (FIM) interventions, and social determinants of health in traditionally marginalized communities. Through MHC, Jayati hopes to contribute to the legacy of the conference by uplifting diverse voices in public health research. Outside of class, she enjoys trying local restaurants, attending UNC sporting events, and traveling.

Evaluation Committee

The Evaluation committee designs, sends out, collects, compiles, and synthesizes evaluation information from attendees on the day of the conference, planning committee members, speakers, poster presenters, etc. They conduct interviews with key stakeholders to evaluate the processes and outcomes of the Minority Health Conference and generate an evaluation product for the use of next year’s conference Planning Committee. Most of the committee’s work happens just before and after the conference.

Katherine Gonzalez | Evaluations Co-Chair

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Katherine Gonzalez is a second-year MPH student in the Applied Epidemiology concentration. She is interested in working alongside stakeholders to promote, prevent, and improve the quality of life of diverse populations doing community-based participatory research and engagement. She’s involved with the Translational Biobehavioral Health Disparities Branch at the NIHCC. She is excited to connect and collaborate with Gillings vibrant community. In her free time, she enjoys running, true crime, and spending time with her family.

Shreeya Yarlagadda | Evaluations Co-Chair

Pronouns; She/Her/Hers

Shreeya Yarlagadda is a second year at UNC studying Neuroscience and Psychology with a minor in Medicine, Literature, and Culture with interest in health humanities and equity. She is interested in analyzing racial and ethnic health disparities, with emphasis on individual narratives, oral history, and multi-disciplinary policy evaluation. Shreeya is a pre-med student hoping to strengthen her knowledge in disparities and social determinants of health on marginalized communities to be a better provider. In her free time, Shreeya enjoys traveling, dancing, attempting to crotchet, scrolling through Depop, and spending time with friends and family.

Minority Student Caucus Co-Presidents

Shaelyn Hawkins | Co-President 

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Shaelyn Hawkins is a second-year Health Equity MPH student and serves as Co-President for the Minority Student Caucus. Shaelyn is interested in advancing health equity through program implementation and evaluation. Her research interest includes the impact of social determinants of health on traditionally marginalized communities. She is excited about her role in supporting and advocating for students of color at Gillings. Outside of Gillings, Shaelyn enjoys cooking, rollerskating, and being outside in the sun.

Breyana Williams | Co-President

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio: Breyana Williams is in the second year of her MPH degree with a concentration in Health Behavior and serves as a Co-President for the Minority Student Caucus. In her role, she looks forward to collaborating alongside Gillings to continue the legacy of MSC and bring about meaningful change for students of color that has a lasting impact for years to come. Breyana is passionate about systems-level solutions that incorporate evidence-based interventions and policy. She is also interested in program implementation and evaluation to achieve better mental health and well-being outcomes for youth populations within public school systems. Aside from being a student, she enjoys trying new restaurants, reading on rainy days, and boba.