Minority Health Conference (MHC)
Introduction
The Minority Health Conference is a yearly gathering where professionals and students from allied health fields come together to uncover and focus on eliminating the health challenges encountered by marginalized populations. This conference seeks not only to shed light on health inequities that persist in marginalized communities, but to also build a task force of emerging leaders and professionals to address these issues at the local, regional, and national levels.
2026 Theme
This year's theme is Redefining Health in Action: Equity, Justice, and Community Power will be held at the School of Public Health on Friday, April 17, 2026 from 10:00 am-3:00 pm.
As the 2026 theme, Redefining Health in Action: Equity, Justice, and Community Power centers the idea that health is not only shaped in clinics and hospitals, but also built through systems change, collective action, and community-led solutions. This theme highlights how equity and justice must be embedded in public health practice by uplifting the leadership, lived experiences, and expertise of communities most impacted by health inequities. We welcome research and projects from both traditional health professionals and non-traditional leaders whose work demonstrates the impact of community power, accountability, and justice-centered action in advancing minority health.
We hope to bring about new and engaging conversations around this topic in the public health field as it shifts to a more preventative care focus.
How to get involved: Keep checking back to this page or check out social media to stay up to date on further announcements and timelines for abstract/research submissions and registration deadlines.
2026 Minority Health Conference Agenda
9:00 - 10:00 AM Registration and Check-In
10:00 - 11:00 AM Welcoming and Keynote Address
11:10-11:55 AM First Workshop Rotation
12:00-12:45 PM Lunch and Networking
12:55 - 1:45 PM Panel Discussion
2:00-2:45 PM Second Workshop Rotation
2:45 - 3:00 PM Closing Remarks
2026 Keynote Speaker Announcement: Leandris Liburd, PhD, MPH, MS.
Leandris Liburd, PhD, MPH, MA, is the former director of the CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (2011-2023). From 2023-2025, she directed the CDC’s Office of Health Equity. In her leadership roles with the Office of Health Equity and the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, she provided oversight into a wide range of critical functions in the agency’s work in minority health, women’s health, and reducing health disparities among people with disabilities and other populations bearing a disproportionate burden of poor health outcomes. She played a vital leadership role in determining the agency’s vision, ensuring a rigorous and evidence-based approach, and promoting the ethical practice of public health in vulnerable communities.
Over the course of her career, she executed innovative models of collaboration that greatly expanded the reach, influence, and impact of CDC, including the successful implementation of the John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program (formerly the CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program) and the James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases Graduate Fellowship. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she assumed the role of chief health equity officer for CDC’s COVID-19 response, which was the first time in the agency’s history that this role and function was added to the leadership of the Incident Management Structure. In 2024, TIME magazine named Dr. Liburd “A Closer” – one of 18 Black Leaders working to end the racial wealth gap. Dr. Liburd retired from her federal career in April 2025 but remains active in advancing the primary goals of public health. She was recently appointed Adjunct Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Emory University.
Dr. Liburd holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, a Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, a Master of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Medical Anthropology from Emory University.
Minority Health Conference Chair | 2025-2026
Shiriah Acolatse is a Master of Healthcare Administration candidate at the University of Illinois Chicago with a strong focus on health equity leadership, healthcare operations, and community centered public health initiatives. She currently serves as a Graduate Research Assistant with the UIC Center for Healthy Work, where she collaborates with health system leaders to support equity focused policy analysis and employee well being initiatives across large healthcare organizations. Shiriah brings hands on experience in clinic workflow optimization and patient access, alongside leadership roles as Co Chair of the NAHSE Chicago Midwest Leadership Development Committee, a board member of the UIC MHA CHEF Committee, and a public health lecturer for the UI Health Mini Health Professions Program. As Chair of the 17th Annual Minority Health Conference, she is committed to advancing equity, justice, and community power through inclusive dialogue and action driven public health programming.
Minority Health Conference Planning Committee
Meet the MHC Planning Committee
Maggie Ivie, Programming
My name is Maggie Ivie, and I am so excited to be working as the programming lead for the Minority Health Conference. Before starting my MPH at UIC, I went to college in Easton, Pennsylvania and graduated with a B.S. in neuroscience and minor in government & law. After participating in a global research fellowship, I found that I really love the idea of conducting research that can inform decision-making in policy and healthcare. My specific interests include maternal and child health and women’s health/reproductive health. In the future, I would like to pursue research or healthcare administration as a career.
Carolina Romero, Marketing
Carolina a first-year Master of Public Health candidate for Community Health Sciences concentration with a certificate in Global Health, with a strong focus on immigrant and refugee health and non-communicable diseases. She currently serves as a Graduate Assistant with the UIC Rigo Padilla-Pérez Undocumented Student Resource Center, where she collaborates with students, staff, and faculty to support undocumented and mixed status students navigate higher education. Previous to being a UIC graduate student, she graduated from Denison University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Global Health
Jocelyn Miranda, Outreach and Sponsorship
I am an MPH student in the Health Policy and Administration division with an interest in reducing health disparities and improving healthcare access. My goal is to support and uplift communities through equitable public health policies and strengthened healthcare systems.
Yumna Shad, Volunteer Coordinator
Hi, my name is Yumna Shadman, and I’m a third-year nutrition science student at UIC. I’m thrilled to be volunteering for the Minority Health Conference and am eager to contribute to this important event. Currently, I also work at the School of Public Health, which has been a rewarding experience. As a transfer student from Pakistan, I started my journey at UIC last spring, and I truly cherish opportunities like this conference that not only enhance my skills but also boost my confidence. I’m looking forward to an enjoyable and successful event, and I hope everything unfolds smoothly!