MEET THE TEAM

Dr. Hawkins has over thirty years of experience with public agencies, health care organizations, institutes of higher education and community-based organizations. Currently she serves as the Associate Dean for the School of Community Health and Policy, Director of the Graduate Public Health Program and Co-Director of the Center for Urban Health Equity at Morgan State University. She also established the “Equity in Health Professions Education (EHPE)” initiative to organize multiple efforts aimed at diminishing barriers and facilitating success in pursuing health  careers for underrepresented minorities. With the emergence of the current pandemic, Dr. Hawkins additionally assumed responsibility for monitoring the campus COVID19 response plan, advising university leadership, and coordinating with local and state public health agencies.

Prior to her academic appointments, Dr. Hawkins held positions as a health policy analyst, deputy director of a non-profit organization, and as the principal in a consulting firm providing evaluation services to organizations implementing health related services.  Her early field work and  research explored the manner in which  intersectionality impacts the health and well-being of the African American community.  Returning to her foundation in health policy, Dr. Hawkins more recent work has focused on systemic issues impacting health with an emphasis on health equity.

Lawrence T. Brown is a scholar, equity scientist, and urban Afro-futurist.  His first book The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America was published by Johns Hopkins University Press in January 2021.  The Black Butterfly was the #1 selling book in 2021 at three independent bookstores in the city: Urban Reads Bookstore, Greedy Reads, and Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse.

Dr. Brown is currently working as a research scientist in the new Center for Urban Health Equity, where he is leading the Black Butterfly Rising Initiative which aims to make Black neighborhoods matter.  This initiative will feature innovative mapping/data products, a history exhibit, a reading club, and community convenings.  He is working on his next book tentatively titled Building the Abolition Democracy.

Dr. Sturdavant is a Research Associate Professor in the Morgan State University, Center for Urban Health Equity, whose experience as a public health practitioner spans academic, government and clinical settings. She has served as the Principal Investigator of a SAMHSA funded community-based intervention program for young adults; an Evaluation Fellow with the Army Institute of Public Health; and as a Clinical Case Manager for children and adolescents with mental health needs.

Her research has involved exploring the role of mental health in juvenile justice outcomes among serious offenders and working with community-based organizations to assess the mental health needs of returning citizens post incarceration. Additionally, Dr. Sturdavant has examined adverse childhood experiences, deaths of despair, and disparities in opioid overdose outcomes among Maryland adults during her time with the MDH Behavioral Health Administration, Office of Applied Research and Evaluation.

Dr. Sturdavant is an Alumna of the MSU, School of Community Health and Policy, earning her Doctorate in Public Health with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Health Science in 2015. Her research interests include community mental health and wellbeing, health inequities across the life course and community led solutions to social and systemic determinants of health in urban settings.

Dr. Marvin J. Perry is the Director of Morgan Community Mile and Community Coordinator for the Center For Urban Health Equity, he is an entrepreneur, business coach and wealth builder for urban communities with over 20 years of Higher Education experience. He is a director, community engagement coordinator, VP of Economic Development for STAR Scholars Network, grant writer, and manages number of small business ventures. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Master’s in City & Regional Planning and Doctor of Education in Community College & Leadership Development Program at Morgan State University.

Dr. Perry has assisted faculty and staff members in interdisciplinary research, participated in town hall meetings and community charrettes and workshops. He has testified in local municipalities’ hearings and worked with city officials in city planning strategies. Dr. Perry has participated in the reconstructing and redeveloping of tourism and economic development plans for local Maryland areas, such as Preston, Maryland in Caroline County, for Cambridge and Easton Maryland. Dr. Perry has also served on many research study committees, such as the mitigation committee for the Chesapeake Maryland water waves and the Baltimore City homeless study. He authored bi-annual homelessness reports for the Baltimore City Homeless Services. He also conducted a research study on “The Redevelopment of Northwood Shopping Center” in Northeast Baltimore City for a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning. Dr. Perry’s research efforts has been on the impact of “BLUE COLLAR STEM- ASSOCIATES’ DEGREE and/or CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES on AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS”.

Kiaron Bailey is the Operations Manager for the Center for Urban Health Equity. She received her bachelor’s degree in finance from Alabama A&M University, and has over 5 years of financial planning and analysis experience in both the private and public sector. Kiaron decided to combine her passion for community development and business acumen by obtaining her masters of professional studies in Community leadership from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. During her graduate studies, she partnered with various non-profit organizations in Baltimore City to develop and implement various tools that support programmatic expansion. As a Baltimore native, Kiaron is passionate about advocating for her local community and creating systemic changes. 

Julian Walker is the program manager for the Center for Urban Health Equity. He is a health equity advocate with 3+ years of program management experience in addressing important healthcare disparities at varying health equity programs in Baltimore City. As a native of South New Jersey, he has seen many of his family suffer from the history of racial oppression plaguing the health of Black and Brown communities. Accordingly, he takes immense pride in his ceaseless work in ensuring all Baltimore City residents can live healthy lives.

Julian received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Morgan State University where he learned values of health equity, community health and science leading him to achieve a master’s in health science from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. At Johns Hopkins, he researched the disproportionate epigenetic challenges to cardiovascular disease in at-risk communities exposed to air pollution. He is committed to creating systemic change that builds and sustains thriving communities where people can enjoy the right to a healthy lifestyle.