(JACKSON, Miss.) – Jackson State University professor Dr. Marinelle Payton was awarded an $802,334 research grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration that provided scholarships for 168 health professions students during the 2011–2012 academic year and summer semester.
The scholarship awards provided for tuition, fees and related educational expenses for health professions students in the following programs: Communicative Disorders (Bachelor of Speech Pathology, Master of Speech Pathology), Public Health (Master of Public Health and Doctor of Public Health in Behavioral and Environmental Health, Health Policy and Management, Epidemiology and Biostatistics) and Social Work (Master of Social Work, Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work).
“The purpose of the Health Professions Scholarship Program is to increase diversity in the health profession workforce to ensure culturally effective service and reduce health disparities,” said Payton, who is the Assistant Dean for Research and Program Development and Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the College of Public Service. “The scholarships tackled a major barrier to disadvantaged students’ access to health professions education – namely, high tuition costs. Education is often interrupted due to the lack of funds, so scholarship awards may allow students to complete their education sooner without interruption. The program gave funding priority to health professions in medically underserved communities.”