Meet the Team
Sharla Smith, Ph.D., MPH
Principal Investigator & Director
About Dr. Smith
Dr. Smith loves spending time with her son and family. It is very important that spending time with her family is fun, meaningful and a part of her daily life. Dr. Smith also enjoys watching movies and eating popcorn (which is her favorite food).
What do the KBEN mission and vision mean to you?
To Dr. Smith, the KBEN mission means intentionality and humanity. As a Black woman, mother, daughter and community member, it is important that she has a positive impact on the lives of Black women and their families. It is also important that her work highlights the strengths in the Black community and includes fathers in the maternal and child health conversation. She believes every mom, dad and baby deserves to celebrate the babies' first birthday.
Oluoma Obi, MPH
Program Manager
About Oluoma
Oluoma loves indoor plants! In the spring and summer months, you can always find her at a local plant shop looking for an addition to her plant collection.
What do the KBEN mission and vision mean to you?
The Kansas Birth Equity Network mission and vision are important to Oluoma because it means prioritizing and centering the lived experiences of Black birthing people and Black families in order to create birth equity. By engaging with various stakeholders, they can work collaboratively to create birth equity in Kansas.
Shea J. Kampsen, MPH
Graduate Research Assistant
About Shea
Shea loves to spend time with her partner and watch all the reality tv! She is passionate about creating intentional friendships and laughing too loud and too often.
What do the KBEN mission and vision mean to you?
To Shea, KBEN’s mission and vision means rejecting the status quo of suboptimal health and fighting for the health of all mothers and babies. Bolstering community efforts and interdisciplinary work leads to real change, where KBEN is at the forefront.
Claire Metcalf
Graduate Research Assistant
About Claire
Claire loves to find a good show to watch and is enthusiastic about spending time with family and friends! She loves to play card games and get outside with those who are most important to her.
What do the KBEN mission and vision mean to you?
To Claire, KBEN’s mission and vision are an important part of the fight to improve maternal and reproductive health for Black families. She believes that directly involving the community in these programs and initiatives is essential to birth justice. Claire is passionate about understanding how KBEN’s developments on birth equity could be used to better understand other public health crises.
Elizabeth Madrigal, MPH
Graduate Research Assistant
About Elizabeth
Elizabeth loves live music, losing herself in a good book, and making memories with her loved ones. In her free time, you can find her planning her next concert experience, exploring a bookstore or new coffee spot, or traveling to new places to see the architecture (and try the food!)
What do the KBEN mission and vision mean to you?
To Elizabeth, KBEN’s mission and vision means listening to the lived experiences of Black birthing persons and their family members to address their barriers to quality, equitable care. Elizabeth is passionate about advancing health equity by expanding access to quality healthcare and actively addressing systemic inequalities through policies that prioritize historically marginalized populations and promote diversity within the healthcare workforce.
Reverend Tony Carter
Community Engagement Manager
About Rev. Carter
In his spare time, Rev. Carter enjoys watching sports and westerns and reading. He is also an avid coin collector!
What do the KBEN mission and vision mean to you?
To Rev. Carter, KBEN’s mission and vision provide a tangible opportunity to make a difference in the community and to give voice to people of color who historically haven’t felt valued or empowered.
Daijah Jones
Research Associate
About Daijah
Daijah Enjoys trying new restaurants and exploring hidden gems in Kansas City. In her free time, she likes to play chess and watch psychological thrillers.
What do the KBEN mission and vision mean to you?
To Daijah, KBEN’s mission and vision mean moving beyond acknowledging there are birth inequities and health disparities in Black maternal health care to putting solutions in place to mitigate and prevent them through research, community engagement, and holding health systems accountable