Get to Know Our Faculty and Staff
At J R Young Health Equity Institute, we believe every learner has the capacity to succeed. Our welcoming, supportive setting is designed to help students realize their full potential and achieve their goals.
Learn MoreOur Programs
We offer a variety of programs designed to fit the diverse needs and interests of our students, giving them the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their chosen field.
Explore ProgramsOur Faculty
Our experienced, dedicated instructors are committed to helping students reach their goals. They are passionate about teaching and constantly look for new, creative ways to support learning. To learn more about each faculty member, select the images below.
Leadership
Director of the Office of Health Equity Education
Dr. Deidra Thompson, DNP
The Office of Health Equity Education provides educational equity and health equity education together with clinical services across the lifespan. This covers equitable healthcare education for diverse students, faculty, healthcare providers, patients, families, communities, and organizations, with the goal of delivering competency-based, equitable, team-based care and advocating for social and distributive justice in nursing and healthcare. The work is grounded in the J R Young Health Equity Institute and the highest standards in research, education, practice, administration (including policy), technological advancement (such as tele-education), and newly tailored education and care concepts.
Director of Nursing and Public Health
Dr. Geraldine Q. Young, DNP
The College of Diverse Education, Health, and Wellness Sciences is part of the J R Young Health Equity Institute, a private, nonprofit, charitable educational institution. Its inaugural programs include innovative health equity, nursing, and public health offerings. The college's mission is to pursue excellence both inside and outside the classroom, encourage critical thinking, and emphasize diverse, equitable, inclusive, and anti-bias teaching-learning processes and practices. The Health Equity Model©, the Video, Audio, Reading, and Kinesthetics (VARK) Model, and the Constructive Learning Model (in which learners actively take part in learning activities) form the foundation of our programs of study. Access to interpretation and diverse language materials is included to prevent related barriers. Programs of study are delivered online and within the community, with curricula designed to advance educational equity and health equity.
Exploring New Horizons with Our Faculty
- Dr. Nakeda Hall, DNP — Adjunct Professor
- Dr. Quinton Murry, DNP — Adjunct Professor
- Dr. Necholyia (Nicky) Wright, DNP — Adjunct Professor
- Dr. Crystal Thibodeaux, DNP — Adjunct Professor
- Dr. Jacqueline Johnson, PhD — Adjunct Professor
Teaching Philosophy: Transforming Online Learning
Every stage of an academic nursing and healthcare career should be built on a solid foundation of cutting-edge, equitable clinical care and health outcomes, developing culturally competent and sensitive faculty and students. Faculty and student roles are distinct and foster civility through constructive criticism and peer learning. Core ideas of excellence in education, practice, leadership, service, and scholarship are central to this process. This approach matters for nurturing adult learning theory/andragogy within nursing and healthcare education. Encouraging students to take part in the teaching-learning process is essential. The Health Equity Model, Constructive and Cognitive Learning Theories, and competency-based education are key underpinnings of the curriculum that promote a rewarding nursing and healthcare education experience. Using processes such as debriefing, reflecting, and evaluating across the curriculum helps students understand the outcomes of the teaching-learning process and supports quality improvement within the curriculum. Various teaching-learning models, such as Video Audio Reading Kinesthetic (VARK), are instrumental in meeting the learning needs of diverse student populations. An equitable academic path focused on each student's individual success addresses the complexity of healthcare delivery in diverse, rural, and underserved communities, helping to reduce health disparities and inequities and improve outcomes.
The Principle of Integrity: Trusting the Educational Process
All students, faculty, and staff are expected to uphold the Principle of Integrity as set out in The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity.
- Honesty: The quality of being honest, free from fraud or deception, legitimate, truthful.
- Trust: The assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.
- Fairness: The quality or state of being fair, especially fair or impartial treatment, lack of favoritism toward one side or another.
- Respect: High or special regard, esteem; the quality or state of being esteemed.
- Responsibility: The quality or state of being responsible; moral, legal, or mental accountability, reliability, trustworthiness.
- Courage: The mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty (International Center for Academic Integrity [ICAI], 2021).
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Our faculty and staff bring together clinical expertise, teaching experience, and a shared commitment to equitable care. Whether you are a prospective student, a current learner, or a healthcare professional, you can explore our programs, review our teaching philosophy, and connect with the people who guide our students every day.