[March 1, 2022 – Ivins, UT] Rocky Vista University (RVU) is pleased to announce that Jacqueline Powell, PhD, Associate Professor of Physiology, has been selected as one of the recipients of the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce Element Award. The award honors women who are “generating major social and economic contributions in the Washington County Area,” and more specifically, women who have “exhibited significant leadership and demonstrated courage in the face of adversity.”
In just two-and-a-half years, Dr. Powell has made an indelible mark on the RVU community. She is not only passionate about helping students become critical thinkers and life-long learners, but has also supported RVU-SU’s efforts in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as the Chair of the DEI Committee and as the faculty advisor for the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. Additionally, in 2021, she chaired the University-wide DEI Climate Task Force, which presented over 70 tangible and meaningful action items to support the University’s core value of diversity.
Outside of RVU, Dr. Powell serves as the Chair of the International Association of Medical Science Educators’ (IAMSE) Racial Equity Committee In that role, she is conducting research projects that include: co-writing a manual for IAMSE titled “Acknowledging and addressing racial and ethnic health disparities in medical education;” an IAMSE focus session abstract titled “Mitigating implicit bias in medical curricula;” and a journal article titled “Mitigating bias in pain management of Black patients.” Dr. Powell is also a member of the Vista Charter School Board, holds executive leadership positions in the Black Lives Matter Southern Utah Chapter, is a Utah Food Bank volunteer, and is involved with both the St. George and Black Utah Chambers of Commerce.
Prior to RVU, Dr. Powell taught physiology to both medical and graduate students at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, at Ross University School of Medicine in the Caribbean Island of Dominica, and at Oceania University of Medicine, which remotely educates students in Australia and the South Pacific. Additionally, Dr. Powell taught at St. George’s University School of Medicine for seven years prior to joining RVU’s faculty.
According to the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce, the finalists and winners of the Element Award were selected by a panel of judges after several rounds of evaluation. Dr. Powell and her fellow honorees will be recognized at the Element Awards dinner event, which will be taking place on March 31, 2022 at the St. George Convention Center Ballroom. Tickets are currently available for purchase at their website here: https://stgeorgechamber.chambermaster.com/eventregistration/register/16159.
