Community Health Champions are student leaders who partner with the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health (IACH) to advance health and well-being on campus and across the Upstate. As ambassadors for IACH, they engage peers in conversations about health, represent the Institute at campus and community events, and support initiatives that connect Furman students with community partners.
Throughout the year, the Community Health Champions collaborate on service projects, help plan and host educational programming, and build awareness of community health needs. Examples include:
- Represent IACH at major campus events such as the Student Involvement Fair, Parents Weekend, and Furman Forward Days
- Help plan a signature CLP exploring a relevant community health topic
- Collaborate on service days with campus and community organizations
- Network with healthcare professionals through guest speakers and informational interviews
- Support community health awareness events on campus including our annual Community Health Showcase
- Connect with peers who share diverse interests within the healthcare space
Through these experiences, the Community Health Champions gain meaningful leadership skills, professional development, and exposure to a variety of healthcare pathways, preparing them for impactful careers in the future. Their work reflects IACH’s mission of optimizing health and quality of life for all.
Follow their work here on Instagram!
Congratulations, 2025-2026 Champions! (pictured above)
- Roger Abim-Karmon ’26 Public Health and Data Analytics
- Meenakshi Balachandran’27 Biology
- Sadie Barongan ’28 Biology
- Ethan Carroll ’27 Health Sciences, Medicine, Health and Culture
- Maggie Cooney ’27 Chemistry and Art History
- Paul Cosme ’28 Psychology and Medicine, Health and History
- Ava Cresto ’27 Health Sciences
- Max Delia ’27 Physics
- Eno Etuk ’27 Mathematics-Economics and Data Analytics
- Audrey Evans ’27 Health Sciences
- Cierra Friez ’27 Biology and Medicine, Health and Culture
- Will Hutson ’26 Health Sciences and Data Analytics
- Maddie Massie ’27 Applied Mathematics
- Cait Mcguiness ’26 Biology
- Baseer Muqri ’26 Health Sciences
- Rathna Reddy ’27 Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Chemistry
- Emerson Smith ’27 Biology and Latin American Studies
- Rory Sullivan ’28 Biology
- Yamiko Sumaisi ’26 Public Health and Data Analytics
- Abbey Vincent ’27 Chemistry
IACH Leadership Council
The IACH Leadership Council strengthens and advances our mission by bringing together thought leaders from across the community health sector. Council members provide guidance, serve as mentors to students, and help expand high-impact learning experiences and innovative, community-engaged research. They also act as liaisons to local, regional, and national networks, ensuring IACH remains connected and positioned to drive meaningful change.
IACH Leadership Council:
- Dr. Elizabeth Bloodworth ’92
- Dr. Jim Bloodworth, Prisma Health
- Dr. Carlos Dalence, St. Joseph’s Hospital, BayCare Health System
- Emily Gallman, VIPCare, Tampa, FL
- Dr. Jairy Hunter ’89, naviHealth
- Dr. Lauren Messinger ’06, Foxhall OB/Gyn
- Dr. Wade Sexton ’89, Moffitt Cancer Center
- Ms. Anne Tumlinson ’89, ATI Advisory
- Dr. Matthew Wilson ’86, Hamilton Eye Institute/University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center
Please contact us at [email protected] to learn more!