May 26, 2023
Dr. Pamela Payne-Foster, professor of community medicine and population health with CCHS, received the prestigious 2023 Lahoma Adams Buford Peace Award in recognition of her professional and personal advocacy in causes that promote peace and justice. The University of Alabama endowed award is housed in the UA School of Social Work and is presented annually to a UA faculty member. Payne-Foster was presented with the award during a May 8 ceremony at the Tuscaloosa RiverMarket. In addition to her academic role, Payne-Foster is also a preventive medicine/public health physician and deputy director for Community Outreach for the CCHS Institute for Rural Health Research. She conducts her research in rural and underserved communities in Alabama, focusing on health disparities, including HIV/AIDS. Her research interests also include bioethics and medical ethics, and diversity and cultural competency issues in health care.
Four CCHS faculty were elected or appointed to leadership positions with the Medical Association of the State of Alabama. Dr. Jake Guin, assistant professor of family, internal, and rural medicine and assistant residency director, was elected Chair of the Young Physician’s Section and appointed to the Nominating Committee. Dr. Drake Lavender, associate professor and director of CCHS Rural Programs, was elected to the Council of Medical Services. Dr. Jane Weida, professor and chair of family, internal and rural medicine and associate residency director, was re-elected to a three-year term as Seventh District Censor and appointed to a one-year term as an Alternate Delegate to the American Medical Association. Dr. Tom Weida professor of family, internal, and rural medicine and associate dean for Clinical Affairs, was elected to a one-year term as an Alternate Delegate to the American Medical Association. The elections and appointments took place at the association’s annual meeting April 29.
Dr. Nathan Culmer, assistant professor with CCHS and director of Educational Technology and Faculty Development, received an Outstanding Research Mentorship award at the recent UA Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities conference. In addition, students for which he serves as a faculty advisor also received awards. In the Health Sciences category, Abigail Fickel, Sydney Brennen and Madison Bley received second place for a project titled “Emergency Medical Services Providers Perceptions of Ambulance-Based Telemedicine.” In the Social Sciences category, Nicholas Elwing, Andrew Fickel and Ifeanyi Anyoku received third place for a project titled “The Benefits of Undergraduate Research.”
