Eugenia Isabel Flores Millender (Chair)

Eugenia Isabel Flores Millender, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, CDE, FAAN.  As an indigenous Afro-Latina nurse scientist, Dr. Eugenia Millender has dedicated her career to increasing access to mental health equity and providing culturally appropriate care. Dr. Eugenia Millender is currently the Co-Founder and Co-Director for the Center for Population Sciences for Health Equity and an Associate Professor at Florida State University College of Nursing. Dr. Millender's program of research is to investigate ways to reduce mental health disparities by exploring how socio-cultural stressors and trauma influence transgenerational psychological and co-occurring physical illness through gene-environment interaction among vulnerable, underserved, and marginalized populations. She works with community-based organizations to co-create community-academic partnerships, meaningful investigations, and interventions for diverse communities. Previously, Dr. Millender was a Research Associate at the Center for Indigenous Nursing Research for Health Equity (INRHE) at Florida State University. In addition, in 2014, she founded the Florida Atlantic University Christine E. College of Nursing Nurse-led community health center in West Palm Beach, Florida. This center is grounded on caring philosophy and dedicated to increasing access to quality and culturally sensitive integrated care for underserved populations while serving as a vibrant laboratory for current and future practitioners and scientists. 

Dr. Millender currently serves on several national boards and leadership positions, such as the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) board as Member-At-Large. She is also a Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice Global Mental Health Task Force member to promote social justice and human rights and reduce behavioral health disparities. She is also a Florida State University Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Steering Committee member. In addition, Dr. Millender serves on several community boards, including the Center for Child Counseling (Vice-chair; 2013–present), EmpowHER of the Palm Beaches (advisory board; 2017–present), and the Mental Health Council of Leon County (advisory board; 2018–present).