2.09.22 – Celebrating Black History Month 2022

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Celebrating Black History Month

Throughout the year, we honor and recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Black Leaders and Activists and the positive impacts those accomplishments have within our communities.

Today, we recognize an individual who has profoundly impacted our lives: Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett.

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett

Perhaps one of the most influential contemporary Black Leaders today, Dr. Kizzmekia “Kizzy” Corbett has entered the public stage as part of the new generation of researchers. As the Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the scientific lead for the Coronavirus Vaccines & Immunopathogenesis Team at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Research Center, Dr. Corbett played a leading role in the development of mRNA-1273, a leading vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.

Born in 1986 in North Carolina, Dr. Corbett received her Bachelor’s of Science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and her Masters of Science and Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She has spent over fifteen years studying the dengue virus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, and coronaviruses, and has received prestigious awards for her work, such as the Benjamin Franklin Next Gen Award and the Salzman Memorial Award in Virology.

Dr. Kizmekkia Corbett
(photo source: UMBC Magazine)

Dr. Corbett continues to advocate for STEM education and vaccine awareness in underserved communities throughout the country.

“I could never sleep at night if I developed anything — if any product of my science came out — and it did not equally benefit the people that look like me. Period.”
– Kizzmekia Corbett, Nature interview, 2021

Black History Month Celebrations and Recognitions

Throughout February, celebrations, recognitions and remembrances continue. Here are some links to local events in our crew base cities honoring Black Leaders and Activists, past and present, and their contributions to equality and inclusivity: