Kamesha Spates

Dr. Kamesha Spates is an Associate Professor at Kent State University actively involved in the Division of Research & Economic Development. She serves as a mentor in the Sophomore Research Experience program, where she works closely with undergraduate students on meaningful health equity research.

Her research focuses on critical health disparities affecting marginalized populations. Dr. Spates specializes in two main research areas: examining the experiences of Congolese refugee women living in the United States, and understanding the experiences of Black Americans living with clinically diagnosed depression. Her work contributes to the Racial Justice Health Equity Research and Education Collaborative, which recently submitted a manuscript based on interviews with Congolese refugee women about cultural beliefs affecting resettlement experiences.

As a first-generation college student from an underrepresented background herself, Dr. Spates is passionate about demystifying the research process for undergraduate students. She believes research mentoring can significantly change students' career trajectories and increase their confidence levels. Her mentoring philosophy is guided by Benjamin Hardy's perspective that "Anything that you'll ever do well will be the result of high-quality mentoring."

• Former SRE student now thriving in a top Master's in Public Health program
• Committed to training the next generation of social scientists and health scholars
• Focused on preparing practitioners to better understand and meet the needs of underserved communities