Associate Professor & Director of the Black Lumen Project: An Equity Initiative at Elon University
About
Dr. Buffie Longmire-Avital is a diversity, inclusion, and racial health equity scholar-educator. She is currently an associate professor of psychology, the inaugural director of the Black Lumen Project, an equity initiative, and the acting coordinator of the African and African American Studies interdisciplinary minor program at Elon University. Dr. Longmire-Avital received my PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology from New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. She has published numerous articles; served on the editorial boards of multiple academic journals; has been recognized for excellence in mentorship as well as for her leadership service for Elon College of Arts and Sciences; and she is a former recipient of the prestigious National Institutes of Health, Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities. As a board member of multiple social justice non-profits, Dr. Longmire-Avital aim is to always serve her University and broader communities with distinction in efforts to build sustainable inclusive spaces.
Current Work:
Dr. Longmire-Avita examines how the intersections of sociodemographic and psychosocial factors (e.g., racial microaggressive stress, socioeconomic status, depression, chronic conditions, religion, and sexuality) are related to both health risk behaviors and coping responses for Black American populations. She is currently co-developing an 8-week virtual intervention aimed at increasing self-compassionate beliefs and self-care behaviors for Black American collegiate women. In partnership with a non-profit, Dr. Longmire-Avita is studying adherence to medication patterns and the impacting factors for Black American women living with a diagonis of HIV during this global pandemic. This funded project culminated in the creation of online social networking website for this vulnerable yet often invisible community. Finally, as a Center for Engaged Learning scholar she developed a mentoring model to generate and sustain critically conscious, equitable approaches that support underserved students' engagement in High Impact Practices.
- racial health inequities; Black American women; stress and well-being
