Announcing a Celebration for Dr. Cedric Bright and Transitions in the Office of Special Programs

Dr. Cedric Bright, UNC School of Medicine’s Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence, will step down from that position to become Associate Dean for Admissions at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine. In honor of his contributions to the UNC School of Medicine a send off celebration will be held Friday, December 14, 4 – 6 p.m. in the Bondurant Hall Lobby. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

While it will be difficult to fill Dr. Bright’s shoes, Claudis Polk and Lisa Long will continue the work of the Office of Special Programs, and Dr. Kenya McNeal-Trice has been named Interim Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence.

Dr. Kenya McNeal-Trice will become the Interim Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence.

Kenya McNeal-Trice is a Professor of Pediatrics, Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Pediatrics, and Pediatric Residency Program Director. She is an alumna of Spelman College, then Wayne State University School of Medicine, before coming to UNC for her residency training. After working as a Chief Resident and Pediatric Hospitalist at WakeMed, she joined the UNC School of Medicine faculty. During her time at UNC, she has served as Pediatrics Clerkship Director, Course Director for the Capstone Course, Larry Keith Advisory College advisor, a faculty advisor for SNMA, member of the Education Committee and member of the Admissions Committee. Dr. McNeal-Trice has twice been selected as the keynote speaker for the Office of Special Programs’ Senior Banquet and was honored alongside Dr. Bright by the class of 2018 as a “hooder” at graduation last year.

Claudis Polk will become the Interim Director of the Office of Special Programs.

Claudis Polk, Jr., M.A., is a graduate of Hampton University receiving a BA Psychology, a MA in Educational Leadership and Urban Studies concentration in Counseling from Norfolk State University and in the process of completing the dissertation requirements for a PhD in Higher Education Policy, Leadership and Management Studies from Hampton University. He has over 15 years of mentoring, coaching, advising students and student athletes and has been a member of UNC SOM Medical Education team since 2008 in the role of Associate Director of OSP. He was tasked with running the day-to-day operations of the MED Program, providing student and organization support as well as serving as liaison to the dental school.

Lisa Long will become the Interim Associate Director of the Office of Special Programs.

Lisa Long, M.S., is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University (BA, English) and UNC-Chapel Hill (MS, Library Science). She is a dedicated and experienced advisor to pre-college and college students interested in careers in the health professions. With 15 years’ experience at UNC School of Medicine, serving first in Admissions and for the last ten years in the Office of Special Programs, she has extensive knowledge of the application and admission process to health professions school and recruits extensively on behalf of the MED Program and UNC SOM. Additionally, she has advised hundreds of pre-health professions students who have gone on to attend professional school programs ranging from medical, dental, pharmacy, DO, PA, public health, and nursing.

McNeal-Trice, Polk, and Long will serve in an interim basis until after the 2019 MED curriculum is complete. At that time decisions will be made about searches for the permanent posts.