Page 26 - Morehouse School of Medicine Magazine

ton, a Spelman graduate and former in their fields” and increase minority ing future for the AUCC, one in which ABOVE L–R
program director at the National Sci- diversification in their career fields, students, residents and businesses will Gordon Street in
ence Foundation. She will direct the she added. all benefit. West End (looking
west), 1952; the Sears
Data Science Initiative “to address the AUCC executive director Greene cites Kimberly Scott, an Atlanta real estate store at West End
disparity of minorities in tech and other the potential medical benefits from the agent and chair of the city’s Neighbor- was a landmark for
fields,” he said. interdisciplinary application of data hood Planning Unit-T, which includes decades.
“Our campuses will soon produce science and analytics. Consider the the AUC, said the citizens’ advisory
hundreds of students annually who medical outcomes from hypertension panel and the AUCC “partner on com-
will be well equipped to compete inter- —a chronic health condition that dispro- munity engagement and community
nationally for lucrative careers in data portionately affects African Americans, involvement.”
science,” Thomas said. he said. The NPU, which advises Atlanta’s
Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, presi- “That is a place where Morehouse mayor and city council, has hosted a
dent of Spelman College, said the AUC School of Medicine certainly has par- public safety forum with the AUCC for
institutions “have been in the vanguard amount expertise,” he said. But many faculty, staff and community residents.
of educating African Americans” who factors contribute to health outcomes. Education is a key focus, she said, with
succeed in science, technology, engi- “The social determinants of health, her NPU and AUCC partnering to de-
neering and math. The UnitedHealth where a person was born, for instance, velop remote learning opportunities
Group grant will make the AUCC a really play a role in how diseases man- for Brown Middle School and reading
“center of excellence for the study of ifest themselves in individuals.” mentors for two elementary schools
data science across a range of disci- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control in the area.
plines in medicine and the liberal arts.” and Prevention says such social deter- Scott said MSM is the planning
Dr. Campbell said Washington’s de- minants that affect health risks and unit’s “go-to institution when it comes
cades of research and advocacy for in- outcomes include where people live, to health concerns. … They are our
clusivity in STEM fields align with the learn, work and play. Poverty, unsafe leader in this community.” The NPU
mission of the AUCC’’s Data Science neighborhoods, unstable housing and advisers communicated the need for the
Initiative. substandard education all play a role. new wellness center, and she said the
“The Data Science Initiative has the Knowing those social determinants neighbors are especially excited about
potential to make the Atlanta University helps improve the health of individuals the planned mental health facilities.
Center Consortium a national resource and communities and advance health Terry Ross, who preceded Scott as
for experts in data analytics,” Dr. Mont- equity, according to the CDC. chair of NPU-T, is “optimistic about
gomery Rice said. The ambitious data the future.” “Some of the ideas coming
science program will “produce talent- OF AND FOR THE COMMUNITY out of the consortium are some of the
ed data scientists who will be leaders The consortium has envisioned a thriv- best I’ve heard.”

24 Primarily Caring Fall 2020

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