UAMS Names Wendy N. Nembhard, Ph.D., MPH, as Dean of the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health | UAMS News
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UAMS Names Wendy N. Nembhard, Ph.D., MPH, as Dean of the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health
By News Staff
July 29, 2026
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) named Wendy N. Nembhard, Ph.D., MPH, as the next dean of the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, effective Sept. 1
Nembhard succeeds Mark Williams, Ph.D., who announced his plans to retire as dean earlier this year
An internationally recognized epidemiologist, accomplished academic leader, and respected public health scholar who has served UAMS with distinction for more than a decade, Nembhard is currently professor and chair of the college’s Department of Epidemiology, a position she has held since 2017. She is also a professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine
“Dr. Nembhard’s vision, collaborative leadership style, and longstanding commitment to advancing public health make her exceptionally well prepared to lead the College of Public Health — which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year — into its next chapter,” said Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D., provost, UAMS senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, and chief strategy officer. “Her deep understanding of UAMS, extensive experience in academic administration, and passion for improving health outcomes will serve the college and our institution well as we continue to expand our impact across Arkansas and beyond.”
“I also want to express my gratitude to Dr. Williams, who planned on retiring at the end of June but agreed to stay on as dean until his successor was hired,” Gardner said
Nembhard also directs the Arkansas Prevention Research Center for Women’s Health and the Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, where she has led multidisciplinary teams in addressing some of the most pressing public health challenges facing Arkansas and the nation
She has led or contributed to externally sponsored research worth more than $100 million, authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications, and led major Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- and National Institutes of Health-supported research initiatives focused on maternal and child health, health disparities, congenital conditions, and population health
“I am thankful and honored for this opportunity to lead the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health,” said Nembhard. “I am excited about what this new chapter holds — both for the college and for public health in the state of Arkansas.”
Nembhard’s accomplishments have earned her national and international recognition, including election as president of the Society for Epidemiologic Research, fellowship status in the American College of Epidemiology, Society for Pediatric Research, and the American Heart Association, selection as an Aspen Health Innovators Fellow, a Fulbright Senior Scholar, and participation in the prestigious Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program, and numerous honors recognizing her research and leadership contributions.
Nembhard joined UAMS in 2014 as an associate professor in both the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Epidemiology. In 2020, she was promoted to professor in both departments. Prior to joining UAMS, she was an associate professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa. She started her career as a postdoctoral fellow and research instructor at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta
She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. She received a Master of Public Health degree and her Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology from the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Houston
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 1,030 medical residents and fellows, and two dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.
