Biography

Dr. Mary Awuonda (formerly Dr. Mary Maneno)  received her PhD in Pharmacy Administration with an emphasis in training in Pharmacoepidemiology and Health Services Research from Howard University and has been an active faculty researcher since 2011. Dr. Mary Awuonda currently serves as an Associate Professor and Director of the Center of Excellence at the Howard University College of Pharmacy. In her directorship role she helps the College advance its healthcare workforce diversification mission and student academic success initiatives. Mary believes that a student-centered organizational mindset and pipeline programs are critical to supporting the advancement of underrepresented minority students into STEM and health care professions. To that end Mary has successfully facilitated continuous funding for the Center for the past 10 years . She has also designed 3 pipeline academic programs and managed 18 academic and clinical partnerships working with the Center.  Through the center’s research efforts, she is also well published in the areas of minority health, health disparities ,health outcomes research and workforce diversification.

Dr. Awuonda also serves as the Director of the newly established Howard University Telepharmacy and Population Health Center (HU-TEPH). Through the Center she serves as a Co-Principal investigator on the recently $8 million dollar funded Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) for DC (PHIT4DC) PHIT4DC cooperative agreement between UDC and Howard University. At Howard, the grant efforts are housed within the HU-TEPH Center, and the training efforts will develop a pipeline of PHIT underrepresented minority students and community trainees  for Washington DC and other medically underserved areas. Through Dr. Awuonda’s efforts, the HU-TEPH Center has recently expanded its training to the US Virgin Islands through the PHIT4VI exchange program which will provide public health informatics training through an exchange program with the College of Pharmacy.