Mariella Hernandez (’19) has accepted a position as Senior Project Manager of Strategic Initiatives at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Hernandez’s responsibilities will include managing various projects and initiatives for the implementation and execution of the UAMS strategic plan. She will also serve as a liaison for community initiatives.
“This position interests me because it enables me to contribute to various aspects of health equity by managing projects that will benefit the community as well as assisting with the hospital’s Strategic Vision 2029, which aims to improve health for all Arkansans,” Hernandez said.
As a Clinton School student, Hernandez was awarded the B.A. Rudolph Scholarship, presented annually to a rising second-year student who best embodies the mission and values of the B.A. Rudolph Foundation. The Foundation established the scholarship in 2015 in honor of the organization’s namesake, B.A. Rudolph, a 1978 graduate of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and a member of Bill Clinton’s gubernatorial and presidential staffs.
A native of Guayaquil, Ecuador, Hernandez was part of a Clinton School team that worked with the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas to research and develop the Gender Equity Scorecard, an internal assessment designed to equip businesses in Arkansas with the ability to evaluate the current state of gender equity in their workplace. In March 2019, the first Gender Equality Award was presented to recognize the most equitable workplace in Arkansas.
For her Capstone Project, Hernandez compiled a report summarizing the findings of Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s 2019 efforts to engage and understand the health needs of the community it serves. The report included input from a wide range of community members and organizations representing children’s health interests and touched on priority themes of parenting supports, equitable access to healthcare, and food insecurity, among others.
“I will absolutely be able to apply my Clinton School work,” Hernandez said. “I will apply the skills utilized during my Capstone project looking at social determinants of health to improve community health and well-being. I will also be involved in the creation of the UAMS Vision 2029 balanced scorecard and I will be able to draw on my work creating the Gender Equity Scorecard for the WFA.”
A graduate of UA Little Rock, Hernandez earned her bachelor’s degree in international studies with a minor in philosophy and religious studies. She previously worked as a supervisor at the UAMS Office of Translation and Interpreting Services and has served as an advocate for the Hispanic community in Arkansas for more than 15 years.
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