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ATLANTA — Elizabeth Armstrong-Mensah, a clinical associate professor in the Georgia State University School of Public Health, has been named one of Africa’s 100 Most Influential Women in Academia and will be recognized at an international conference in Kigali, Rwanda.
Clinical Associate Professor Elizabeth Armstrong-Mensah
The award is sponsored by the Business Executive Media Group, a publishing, public policy advocacy and private enterprise promotion and facilitation group of companies headquartered in Accra, Ghana. It recognizes women for exemplary achievement in social or economic activity as well as personal and professional conduct that serves as a model for emulation. Awardees also join the newly created African Women’s Forum, which will meet virtually on a regular basis to engage in socio-economic advocacy, design social intervention programs and serve as collective role models.
Armstrong-Mensah’s expertise, from both her research and experience in public health practice, encompasses global health, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and the management and assessment of public health programs. She joined the faculty of the School of Public Health in 2017 and was previously a health scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Global Health Center.
“Dr. Armstrong-Mensah excels at linking instruction, research and global engagement to provide our students with unsurpassed learning opportunities,” said Dean Rodney Lyn. “I am delighted that her dedication to improving health for all continues to be recognized.”
Since 2022, Armstrong-Mensah has led a study abroad course in Ghana that focuses on three public health issues of global relevance: water and sanitation, HIV, and women’s health. Through the course, students conduct a comparative analysis of the magnitude, nature and effects of public health issues in Ghana, assess how these issues pertain to the United States and come up with strategies for addressing them. After returning from the study abroad in 2023, a group of students launched a school supply drive for grade school students in Ghana that has since become an annual tradition.
Armstrong-Mensah also founded the school’s Undergraduate and Graduate Research and Publications Club and the school’s “Meet and Talk” (MeTa) networking series. Through the research and publications club, she works with students to develop research that addresses a range of public health challenges. More than 100 students have participated in the club and more than 75 students have published peer-reviewed research publications that advance public health knowledge.
The MeTa Series has been held each fall and spring since 2018 and is organized in collaboration with a team of students and faculty. It brings students, faculty, alumni and other members of Atlanta’s public health community together for networking and breakout sessions focused on academic and career development. The next event, MeTa 15, will be held Oct. 9 and will include breakout sessions on topics such as mental health and career awareness, AI in public health and preparing for life after graduation.
Armstrong-Mensah has earned several additional honors over the course of her career, including the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Excellence in Teaching Award and the School of Public Health’s Excellence in Instruction Award.
“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Armstrong-Mensah for receiving this well-deserved international honor,” said Ashli Owen-Smith, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences. “Her commitment to global health, her dedication to mentoring students and her innovative approaches to teaching exemplify the very best of our School of Public Health.”