Our Annual Speaker Series continues to grow as an important platform for advancing dialogue, scholarship, and community engagement around critical issues in maternal health. We were excited to kick off Year Two with a compelling talk by Stacey B. Stephens, MSW, LCSW-C, Director of B’more for Healthy Babies at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. The session explored how community-driven strategies, cross-sector collaboration, and equity-centered approaches contributed to significant reductions in infant mortality and a substantial narrowing of the Black–white disparity. The discussion highlighted actionable insights and lessons learned that can inform future maternal and child health research, practice, and policy efforts. Our upcoming session in February will highlight our very own doctoral student, Dena Barwell, who will share the insights gained from her dissertation titled “Stories of Baltimore Fathers: A Qualitative Study on the Motivations and Challenges of Involved Fathers Living in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area”.
