Alumna Voted President-Elect of Society for Epidemiologic Research

Alumna Wendy Nembhard, PhD, MPH, FACE, voted as the new incoming president-elect of the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER.) As president-elect, Nembhard serves on the Executive Committee for SER, which hosts the nation's oldest epidemiology society.

"It is truly an honor to be elected as the president-elect of the Society for Epidemiology Research," said Nembhard, a 1997/2000 MPH and PhD graduate from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. "It has been my intellectual home, where I meet current and past colleagues, friends, and past trainees and introduce them to this exciting society of epidemiology professionals."

Nembhard is a professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. As a SER member since 2001, her career has followed a linear trajectory alongside that of the organization. Both have grown extensively since the boom in public health, adapting to new challenges and expanding their impact.

Nembhard's training at the School of Public Health prepared her to face the critical health challenges at the nation's forefront. At the school, Nembhard completed an MPH focusing on International and Family Health and a doctorate in Epidemiology. Her work as a leading researcher in the field has stemmed from the diverse focus her degrees and training honed.

“The training I received at the School of Public Health greatly impacted my life and my career.  The excellent training I received in critical thinking, epidemiologic and biostatistical methods, and public health approaches served me well throughout my career – I still rely on that training today.  I still hear many words of wisdom from my professor’s words in my mind when I face particular issues today," said Nembhard.

As an epidemiologist, she has pushed forward perinatal research and the effect of health disparities on perinatal outcomes. Nembhard serves as the director of the Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention and the Arkansas Center for Women’s Health, working to address and solve the epidemiologic impact on infant mortality and defect rates and health outcomes.

Since its establishment, SER has become the largest society in which epidemiologists can converge in North America. The organization hosts yearly conferences to highlight the continued efforts of its members and students in the field. "I will use my experience from a career dedicated to health equity and disparities research to build upon the current momentum within SER to increase diversity, including increasing the diversity of members from non-academic settings and more networking opportunities. I am excited about bringing our community together to discuss strategies to address many of the emerging issues facing our community today."