William E. Haley, PhD, a distinguished university professor in the School of Aging Studies, was honored by the Florida Education Fund and McKnight Doctoral Fellowship program as a recipient of the 2024-2025 William R. Jones Most Valuable Mentor Award.
The award was presented at the 39th Annual McKnight Fellows鈥� Meeting and Research and Writing Conference in Tampa on Nov. 24, 2024. This prestigious honor recognizes exceptional mentors statewide who have made significant contributions to the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program.
Haley was nominated by Rio Tate, a McKnight Dissertation Fellow and doctoral candidate in the School of Aging Studies. Haley received a plaque from Lawrence Morehouse, PhD, president and chief executive officer of the Florida Education Fund after Rio Tate spoke to attendees about why he nominated Haley for this award.
鈥淒r. Haley has a demonstrated track record of connecting mentees to organizations with similar professional interests," noted Tate in his nomination letter. "For example, he introduced me to the wonderful Black Men鈥檚 Brain Health Scholars Program.鈥�
Tate is completing his dissertation research under the supervision of Haley and Brent Small, PhD, a professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. His dissertation title is 鈥淭he Association of Physical Activity to Cognitive Performance in African American Older Adults.鈥�
The McKnight Dissertation Fellowship program has the goal of addressing the underrepresentation of African American and Hispanic faculty at colleges and universities in the State of Florida, especially in STEM disciplines. Awardees have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to careers in teaching and research at the college or university level, and demonstrate strong commitment to community service.