Advancing Wellness Together

Dr. Kendra G. Hotz is the Robert R. Waller Chair of Population Health and Associate Professor of Urban Studies at Rhodes College. She is the inaugural director of the Institute for Health Equity and Community Justice at Rhodes College, which creates customized health equity curricula for healthcare systems, managed care organizations, medical schools, and graduate medical education programs. Dr. Hotz has authored or co-authored four books and several articles and chapters. Her research focuses on the relationship between social inequalities and health. Dr. Hotz has been named a Faculty-in-Residence at The Center for Bioethics and Health Equity at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital. She lives in downtown Memphis with her spouse Matt Mathews, a fine art photographer. She is an enthusiastic bike commuter and loves everything about dogs.

Dr. Duane T. Loynes Sr. is an Assistant Professor of Urban Studies and Africana Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and also serves as the Associate Director of Equity & Culture for the Institute for Health Equity and Community Justice at Rhodes College. His research and teaching are situated at the sweet spot where race, philosophy, religion, culture, and justice intersect. Dr. Loynes earned an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Marquette University, a program that allowed him to integrate theology, philosophy, and culture. He also has an M.A. in Philosophy (Northern Illinois University), an M.A. in Christian History and Theology (Wheaton College), and a B.A. in Communication and Organizational Leadership (Trinity International University). Dr. Loynes is researching the fractured relationship between Black communities and law enforcement, applying the theoretical frameworks of Afro-pessimism, critical. race theory, and implicit bias to understand the complex dynamics of anti-Black state violence in the United States. He also trains healthcare professionals and pre-med students on developing practices to minimize implicit bias’s role in framing the patient-provider relationship.

Dr. Peter Hossler joined the Urban Studies Program as an assistant professor in Fall 2013. Dr. Hossler has a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Georgia. Before he arrived at Rhodes College, he was a research associate in urban political economy at the School of Geographical & Earth Sciences at the University of Glasgow. Dr. Hossler’s research interests have focused on developing health equity infrastructure for low-income communities, focusing on primary care and SUD/OUD treatment and recovery services. His most recent publications include an exploration of the impact of philanthropic foundations on critical community resources in Memphis, TN. Additionally, he is the project director on three federal grants, two of which aim to increase the availability of evidence-based approaches to reducing the harmful impacts of risky substance use (RCORP Planning Grant; RCORP Implementation Grant). The third seeks to better understand Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy and improve vaccination rates in under-vaccinated communities across Memphis. Additionally, he is the Co-Founder and Director of the Wellness and Stress Clinic of Memphis, a free primary care clinic in the Oakhaven community of Memphis, TN.