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The Lawrence Zollicoffer Community Health Fellowship was established by the family of Lawrence Zollicoffer, MD, Class of 1962.  He was the fourth African-American graduate of the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine.  An activist for civil and human rights, Dr. Zollicoffer dedicated his life to the health care of the community in which he practiced by founding the Garwyn Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. The Zollicoffer family is pleased also to honor Alan W. Cross, MD with the renaming of the fellowship to honor these two outstanding individuals.  Dr. Cross was a member of the faculty of the UNC School of Medicine for more than thirty years, serving as professor and vice chair of the Department of Social Medicine, professor of pediatrics, and professor of maternal and child health in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.  He served as interim chair of the Department of Social Medicine from 2007 to 2009.  He was also director of the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP, a CDC Prevention Research Center), serving for 12 years from 1992 to 2003.

Dr. Cross had a passion for medicine, service, health disparities research, education, and social justice.  A pediatrician by training, he continued to serve as a primary care clinician throughout his career.  He spent several years working with community clinics in Nairobi, Kenya and served on the board of directors for Carolina for Kibera for many years.

As a mentor to Dr. Michael Zollicoffer and countless other students, Dr. Cross embodied the same spirit of community, mentorship, and leadership as Dr. Lawrence Zollicoffer.  The Zollicoffer family appreciates the opportunity to honor both of these outstanding men by providing a means for others to be change-agents and leaders in their communities.

The purpose of the fellowship is to encourage medical students to experience community medicine and to learn about the health issues related to medically underserved communities.  Any current UNC medical student is welcome to apply.

The fellowship is awarded annually to the student who, in the judgment of a faculty and donor committee, submits an outstanding proposal to undertake a community health project that focuses on the health of under-served communities.  The proposal should be limited to three pages that describe the applicant’s interest in community medicine and what will be undertaken in the proposed project.  The selected student will receive an award of $1,500 for the support of the plan. The project must be completed by the recipient’s graduation.

The recipient of the Zollicoffer-Cross Fellowship must complete his or her project before receiving the MD degree and submit a written report of the project to the Office of Student Affairs.  If needed, a stop may be placed on the recipient’s UNC records, pending receipt of the report.

The recipient of the Lawrence Zollicoffer & Alan W. Cross Community Health Fellowship may receive other awards or funding concurrent with this fellowship.  In addition, one may receive elective credit for the project, provided that the student has taken the necessary steps to qualify for academic credit.

The fellowship will be awarded on Monday, February 5, 2024 at the Zollicoffer Banquet as part of the 2024 Zollicoffer Lecture & Banquet programming.

To be considered for this opportunity, applicants must submit the following information in one email by 5:00pm (EST), Monday, January 22, 2024:

  1. A detailed description of the proposed community health project that outlines the following:a)  the purposeb)  the background and significancec)  the expected beginning date and date of completion.
  2. A letter from a faculty preceptor, indicating the preceptor’s support and willingness to assist in arranging the proposed project.
  3. A copy of your CV

    The recipient of the ZollicofferCross Fellowship must complete their project before receiving the MD degree and submit a written report of the project to the Office of Student Affairs.  If needed, a stop may be placed on the recipient’s UNC records, pending receipt of the report.The recipient of the Lawrence Zollicoffer & Alan W. Cross Community Health Fellowship may receive other awards or funding concurrent with this fellowshipPlease direct questions and submit applications to: 

lisa_long@med.unc.edu (subject line: ZollicofferCross Application)  

 

Past Zollicoffer-Cross Community Health Fellowship Recipients

2019 – Nga Nguyen and Jasmine Sinkhada, Karan Ahluwalia

2018 – Kedeja Adams, Karan Ahluwalia, Alex Miles, Anthony McClenny, and Emily O’Mara Zalimeni

2017 – Ashley Crosby, Lori Jones and Enioluwafe Ojo

2015 – Marquis Peacock and Melissa Rolfsen, Kyle Roedersheimer and Kahra Nix

2014 – Blaire Hanvey

2013 – Milele LK Bynum and Susan Li

2012 – Ayesha Lovick

2011 – April Miller

2010 – Elise Leger

2009 – Alan Woodruff

2008 – Kaitlyn M. Bailey

2007 – Brooke Morgan

2006 – Alan Nanney III

2005 – Courney Melton

2003 – Neeta Venepalli and Preethi Venepalli

2002 – Sylvia Lee

2001 – Daniel Park

2000 – Manoj Menon and Amanda Rollins

1998 – Mari Hoffman and Ian Nelligan

1997 – Dawn Johnson

1996 – Gregory Paul