ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Morgan Moore ’24 finished her healthcare management degree at Winthrop University in just three years and is on the way to starting a graduate degree at the country’s top public health program with a prestigious scholarship.
The Irmo, South Carolina, native didn’t know what she wanted to major in when she first entered college but found out quickly after bonding with a Winthrop healthcare management professor.
Entering Winthrop with several Advanced Placement course credits, Moore finished her studies early. Now, she is headed to Johns Hopkins University to earn a master’s degree in healthcare administration with assistance from an $8,500 Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi fellowship.
By ranking within the top 10 percent of her major academically as a senior, Moore received an invitation to become a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. The scholarship opportunities provided by Phi Kappa Phi provide a valuable benefit to its members. Moore becomes the third Winthrop student in three consecutive years to win this fellowship.
She is the second Winthrop graduate in two years not only to be selected for the fellowship but also to attend Johns Hopkins University’s healthcare administration program. She follows Trey Wineglass ’23 who has finished a year of classes at Johns Hopkins and begins a full-time residency at University Health in San Antonio, Texas, in August.
Moore said she learned from her classes and her mentor, Joanna Jackson, an associate professor of management and marketing, that to make lasting improvements to health care, she will need to help inform and make policy.
As a McNair Scholar at Winthrop, Moore found through her research that Black women experience far more adverse maternal outcomes than any other race. She surveyed women in college to determine whether gynecological decision-making prior to having children had an effect on these outcomes. Her research showed that access, cost and health literacy were the main factors that affected gynecological decision-making amongst college students. Moore said that in order to improve gynecological decision-making and reproductive health in Black women, health literacy must start early.
Active in her field of study in her department, Moore served as president of Winthrop’s healthcare management association. She worked to recharter the organization after its inactivity due to COVID-19, and assisted in coordinating many community events such as volunteering with the nearby Hope House to package goods, conducting a toy drive for Caromont Regional Medical Center’s NICU and Pediatric Unit, and encouraging professional development for all members.
In May, she finished Winthrop with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in healthcare management. After finishing her master’s degree, Moore wants to work in women’s health either in a hospital or community clinic as a top-level executive.
About the Fellowship Program
Since its creation in 1932, Phi Kappa Phi’s Fellowship Program has become one of the multidisciplinary honor society’s most visible and financially well-supported endeavors, allocating $649,000 annually to outstanding students for first-year graduate or professional study. Moore’s fellowship was one of 54 awarded at $8,500 each, along with other high value fellowships. View the complete list of 2024 Phi Kappa Phi Fellows.
The selection process for a fellowship requires a detailed submission for the committee to identify the most deserving applicants based on the applicant’s evidence of graduate potential, undergraduate academic achievement, service and leadership experience, letters of recommendation, personal statement of educational perspective and career goals, and acceptance in an approved graduate or professional program.
Winthrop’s Office of Nationally Competitive Awards (ONCA) offers support and assistance for students interested in pursuing competitive opportunities for fellowships, scholarships, and unique educational opportunities awarded in nationally competitive processes.
Any Winthrop student or alumni interested in assistance with these pursuits can contact ONCA’s director, LeeAnn Pounds, at onca@winthrop.edu.
