Chapter Five
Leadership, Mentorship, and Recognition
"A national reputation as a leader in community-engaged scholarship."
Over the past five years, the Dallenbach Professorship has enabled Dr. Mendenhall to take on pivotal leadership roles that amplify the university's impact. In August 2024, she was named Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Cancer Center at Illinois, positioning the institution as a national leader in health equity research.
2026
Third I-Corp Certification
SASH Algorithm for Health Prediction
2025
Silver Anthem Award
International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (What's Left Behind?)
2024
4th Poet Laureate of Urbana
City of Urbana, Illinois
2024
Associate Director for DEI
Cancer Center at Illinois
2023
Kathryn Lee Baynes Dallenbach Professorship
University of Illinois
2023
Mid-Career Scholar Award
Program for Research on Black Americans
2021
Pearl Birnbaum Hurwitz Humanism Award
The Gold Foundation
Future Roadmap (2026-2031): The Case for Renewal
The Kathryn Lee Baynes Dallenbach Professorship has been instrumental in Dr. Mendenhall's ability to bridge the gap between rigorous social science and community transformation. Renewing this support will catalyze the next phase of high-impact scholarship:
- •Scaling SASH™ Homes: Moving from prototype to a scalable housing model that can influence national policy on health equity and urban planning.
- •Expanding Ancestral Math: Developing a comprehensive K-12 curriculum to recover lost histories and increase minority participation in STEM fields.
- •Leading AI Ethics: Establishing the University of Illinois as a global leader in the ethical development of artificial intelligence through the "Communiversity" model.
Continued investment in this professorship ensures that Dr. Mendenhall can leverage her momentum to secure larger federal grants, mentor the next generation of diverse scholars, and cement the university's reputation as a hub for public-facing, transformative research.