UofL’s J’Aime Jennings, Leondra Gully recognized as YMCA Black Achievers

Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences associate professor J’Aime C. Jennings, along with UofL’s Cultural Center director for Black & Multiracial Initiatives, Leondra Gully, are being honored for their work.

The two will be recognized as Adult Achievers in the YMCA Black Achievers 43rd Annual Celebration happening Feb. 26. at the Galt House Hotel.

Jennings is the first Black woman to have earned tenure at UofL’s School of Public Health and Information Sciences. As site co-director for the National Science Foundation supported UofL Center for Health Organization Transformation, Jennings brings expertise in organizational research and strategic management. She studies how organizations identify and implement strategic initiatives to improve access to and quality of health care. 

Jennings earned a PhD in Health Services Administration with a concentration in Strategic Management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of West Georgia, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics from the University of Georgia.

Jennings serves on the Commission on the Status of Women and is co-chair of Campus Climate and Cultural Competency for Employees, a subcommittee of the UofL Campus Environment Team, which advises the university president on diversity, campus climate and environmental issues. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and recently concluded her three-year term as a board member for the Chestnut Street YMCA.

In her role, Gully brings passion to her work with college students and cultivating a safe, equitable and inclusive space for all students at the university. She is an adviser to student organizations including the Black Student Union and the Society of Porter Scholars, in addition to serving on various campus-wide committees and roles including Staff Senate, the Commission on the Status of Women, Black Faculty & Staff Association and the Commission on Diversity & Racial Equity.

Gully is pursuing a doctoral degree in College Student Personnel as a member of the Melanin 5, the first all-women of color cohort pursuing a doctorate degree at UofL. Her research interests include identifying and implementing student success strategies to enrich the experience of Black students, ensuring succes at the university and beyond.  Gully previously earned a Master of Education in Counseling and Educational Psychology with a concentration in College Student Personnel and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

The YMCA Black Achievers event will also celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of local students, in addition to other professionals and community partners.