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- By Native News Online Staff
The University of New Mexico’s College of Population Health (COPH) has named Dr. Carmella Kahn (Diné) as the first Davis-Kozoll Endowed Professor for Prevention Research and Practice.
The new position was made possible through a gift from public health champions Dr. Sally Davis and Dr. Richard Kozoll, whose careers have centered on community wellness and prevention science.
The position supports academic research and teaching, as well as public health practices that improve lives in tribal and rural communities across the state.
“The Davis–Kozoll Endowed Professorship is a powerful example of how philanthropy can shape the future,” Bill Uher, vice president of development at the UNM Foundation, said in a press release. “This milestone is just the beginning. we invite others to join us in advancing Indigenous health equity and leadership in New Mexico and beyond.”
Kahn, who is from Marino Lake, New Mexico, is of the Bitter Water Clan and born for the Folded Arms People Clan. She brings over 14 years of experience working with both rural and urban Native communities on efforts ranging from diabetes prevention and youth substance use to traditional food systems.
Her work centers on community-based participatory research and advancing culturally grounded public health initiatives.
“I feel deeply humbled and grateful for the generosity of Drs. Davis and Kozoll,” Kahn said in a press release. “This role illustrates UNM’s commitment to honoring tribal communities in New Mexico by creating new pathways to higher education and community wellness.”
Last August, Kahn co-founded Indigenous Lobos for Wellness (IWL), a faculty-led group working to support Indigneous students, staff, and faculty in the COPH.
Khan is helping the group launch a new Indigenous public health pathways initiative that will connect tribal communities and academic institutions, from middle school through graduate programs, to build the next generation of Native public health leaders.
“One of the biggest challenges we face is the underrepresentation of Native American students and faculty in health professions,” Kahn said in a press release. “But this will change as we come together as a community to mentor and support each other.”
As an assistant professor at UNM, Kahn has already helped develop an Indigenous health concentration and has mentored Native students pursuing careers in public health.
With the new professorship, she plans to expand these efforts by building networks among Indigenous alumni, students, and community partners while deepening collaborations with local schools and scholarship programs.
“Our work focuses on promoting Indigenous public health, which is the understanding that our health is connected to our culture and everything around us, land, water, animals,” Kahn said in a press release. “Our oral history and cultural knowledge are the framework for our health and wellbeing. That knowledge needs to be honored and encouraged in our academic systems.”
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