December 31, 2014 – Cypress, CA – Trident University International (Trident) is proud to announce that Dr. Bernice B. Rumala has been appointed as the Program Director of the Ph.D. in Health Sciences program.
Dr. Rumala earned a Ph.D. with a Health Equity focus from Columbia University in New York, NY. She holds three master’s degrees from Columbia, including a Master of Philosophy with a Health Equity focus, a Master of Education in International Education Development, and a Master of Arts in Health Education with a health disparities concentration. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biological Science from the University of the State of New York, Excelsior College, Albany. Additionally, she served as a Fulbright Fogarty fellow.
Other previously held positions include Community Engagement Specialist and Founding Co-Director for SPARC (Achieving Successful and Productive Research Careers) at the Rockefeller University Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Director for Recruitment and Student Support Services for the MPH and DPH programs at Hunter College, City University of New York.
Past academic appointments include serving as an assistant professor of medicine in Connecticut and as adjunct lecturer in biology at John Jay College, City University of New York.
“The Ph.D. Program Director in Health Sciences Program leadership position is an excellent fit for me, as it emphasizes a research based curriculum, strong commitment to student success, quality education, affordability, global access, collaboration, and opportunities for professional growth. I was particularly impressed with the fast-track nature in which innovative ideas are implemented. As an innovator, researcher, educator, and creative leader, the culture at Trident is the perfect fit for me,” Dr. Bernice Rumala, Program Director, Ph.D. in Health Sciences Program.
Dr. Rumala’s professional expertise and interests are in the areas of creative innovative leadership, public health, social determinants of health and education equity, community based participatory research, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics/health professions) diversity.
Dr. Rumala also has an extensive research background, having coauthored articles in several leading journals, including Academic Medicine, PLOS Biology, Biochemical Genetics, Science and Translational Medicine, and Journal of the National Medical Association. She has also served as a peer reviewer for journals and Federal research grant submissions.
Dr. Rumala has received numerous awards and grants, including the inaugural Satcher research award – named in honor of former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, Award for Excellent Scholarship in Research, and the Excellence in Innovation Award for Presentation and Workshop, awarded by Peking University in Beijing, China for her presentation on addressing health disparities in medically underserved populations.
In addition, she has been actively involved with the New York State Minority Health Council for the past three years, which focuses on policies for bridging the health disparities gap for underserved and disadvantaged populations.
In her spare time, Dr. Rumala enjoys traveling, learning about different cultures, watching TV, experiencing nature, and cooking Afro-Caribbean-South Asian fusion cuisine.
About Trident University
Founded in 1998, Trident University International (Trident) is a leading online post-secondary university serving adult learners. Trident developed the Trident Learning Model, which employs case-based learning in an online setting to teach real-world relevant critical thinking skills to enhance student’s lives and careers. Trident offers high-quality bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, led by a qualified faculty team, over 80% of whom have doctoral degrees. Visit www.trident.edu, Trident’s Facebook page, or call at to learn more about Trident’s wide range of program offerings.
