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College of Medicine: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Evan Wilons, Ph.D.

Dr. Evan Wilons is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor and trauma educator. He serves as a Behavioral Science Faculty member within the UAMS Little Rock Family Medicine Residency Program, where he supports the integration of behavioral health into primary care and contributes to resident education and training in evidence-based clinical skills.

He earned his Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of the Cumberlands, where his dissertation examined counselors’ conceptualizations of resilience and related constructs. He also holds a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Wilons has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including outpatient clinics, school-based programs, and alternative learning environments. He has extensive experience working with children and adults, with a professional emphasis on trauma, resilience, and trauma-informed systems. He currently serves as the Trauma Educator for the Trauma Resource Initiative for Schools (TRIS) through the Department of Psychiatry at UAMS, providing trauma-informed training and consultation to school communities across the state.

Stacey Ball

Stacey Ball joined the Little Rock Family Medicine residency program in May 2025. She works half-time as an FM Residency Coordinator (with Jennilee Foster serving as the full-time FM Residency Coordinator) and half-time as Residency Coordinator for the upcoming Preventive Medicine residency. Her previous experience includes working for the U of A Criminal Justice Institute/AR Center for School Safety since 2020, and serving as an elementary/early childhood teacher for seven years. When she isn’t working, she enjoys concerts, traveling, all animals, the outdoors, and all things water.

Rajalakshmi Cheerla, M.D., FAAFP

Dr. Cheerla joined our faculty in 2025 as Clerkship Director for Family Medicine and Associate Director of the Division of Medical Student Education. Soon afterward, she won the Chair’s Award for Recognition of Excellence in the category of UME Educator. She graduated from the UAMS Little Rock FM residency program in 2012 and won awards including the Outstanding Resident Award, the STFM Resident Teacher Award, two professionalism awards, and two medical knowledge awards. After graduation, she served as faculty in the Little Rock program and later joined the faculty at the Huntsville Family Medicine Residency Program at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. She served in leadership roles encompassing both Graduate and Undergraduate Medical Education at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and University of Alabama School of Medicine. She was in private practice in Washington state prior to moving back to Little Rock and joining the faculty at the Baptist/UAMS FM residency program in 2021.

As part of the leadership team in the program, in her role as Medical Director for a newly established Residency clinic, Dr. Cheerla played a pivotal role in the early development of the residency program’s ambulatory Family Medicine curriculum and led the establishment of their inaugural Clerkship Division. Her clinical interests include preventive cardiology, women’s cardiovascular health, diabetes, lifestyle medicine, geriatrics, and comprehensive preventive care with emphasis on health literacy and patient engagement. Her research interests include women’s cardiovascular health, childhood obesity, diabetes, and competency-based medical education . She has authored medical media teaching modules for students and residents and has presented at several national conferences including STFM, AAFP Program Directors Workshop, and NAPCRG. Dr. Cheerla is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Outside of work, she enjoys music, dance (Bollywood, Bharatanatyam), yoga, and spending time outdoors with her husband, their two wonderful daughters, and their dog Buddy.