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Tiffany Haynes, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the UAMS Fay W. Boozman School of Public Health, is the 2024 recipient of the UAMS President's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
August 27, 2024 | Dr. Tiffany Haynes is passionate about serving the people of Arkansas, and one of the ways she does this is through her position as a faculty member at the Fay W. Boozman School of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
Her colleagues have taken note of her efforts.
As a result, Haynes, an associate professor in the university's Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, was awarded the 2024 UAMS President's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
“It was so gratifying to be recognized as an educator,” she said. “I try to prepare my students in every class to go out into the world and produce quality work. It means a lot to me that someone is noticing what I do and how it impacts my students.”
Haynes, who has been with the university since 2014, said the award is proof she is doing the right thing by properly educating people on how to address health disparities.
“I love teaching because it's a way for me to give back to society,” Haynes said, “multiplying the potential impact we can have on improving the health of Arkansans.”
“When we have discussions in class and students apply them to their personal and professional lives, I know I'm on the right path,” she said. “It makes me feel fulfilled. It reminds me that I'm doing what I'm meant to do because I'm empowering my students to be part of tomorrow's change.”
Haynes' background heavily influences her desire to be a catalyst for change.
Dr. Tiffany Haynes enjoys a laugh with community members at an event for the Arkansas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
A native of Forest City, Arkansas, Haynes earned his bachelor's degree from Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically black university in New Orleans, before going on to earn his master's and doctorate degrees from the University of Michigan.
Haynes has seen, heard and learned a lot about public health disparities in her hometown of the Arkansas Delta, in New Orleans and in Michigan. These experiences fuel her desire to make a difference, and she is committed to helping her students develop that same passion for service.
“At the College of Public Health, we aim to improve the health of Arkansas residents,” Haynes said, “and that means my health, the health of my family, my friends and my community. So I take my role as an educator personally. I want to ensure that when our students graduate, they are fulfilling the mission of the college, because that mission impacts the people I love.”
“Teaching public health is personal to me, as I work hard to prepare my students to make a positive, lasting impact in their communities, so I am honored to receive this award.”
