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College of Public Health

Doctoral Student Joins United South and Eastern Tribes

Jenna Middlebrooks, a current DrPH student, has been hired as the Director of the Dental Support Center at United South and Eastern Tribes (USET).

USET is a non-profit based in Nashville that works very closely with Indian Health Services and is dedicated to promoting Indian leadership, improving the quality of life for American Indians, and protecting Indian rights and resources on Tribal lands. USET is an inter-tribal organization with 26 Federally-recognized Tribal Nation members. It's mission statement: "United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. is dedicated to enhancing the development of federally recognized Indian Tribes, to improving the capabilities of Tribal governments, and assisting the USET Members and their governments in dealing effectively with public policy issues and in serving the broad needs of Indian people." The Tribal Health Program Support Dental Support Center "provides training and technical assistance for the dental clinics located at member Tribes. . . . to improve access to quality clinical and preventive dental services. . ."

As Director of the Dental Support Center, Jenna will be working with 26 different tribes in 13 states performing needs assessments and helping their local program directors to maintain and evaluate their programs. Jenna states, "I left my career as a dental hygienist and went to graduate school because I wanted to improve dental services in under-resourced populations and really couldn't think of a more perfect position for me".

Originally from St. Augustine, Florida, Ms. Middlebrooks joined the DrPH program in Fall 2012, in the Community Health concentration. She received her BAS in Dental Hygiene from St. Petersburg College, in Florida and an Master of Public Health from ETSU. A graduate of the Douglas Anderson high School of the Performing Arts, she is an accomplished dancer and dance instructor.

She will complete her dissertation on adolescent oral health in east Tennessee while working with USET.

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