Research Faculty

It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of our colleague, mentor, and friend, Leanne Whiteside-Mansell, Ed.D., on December 18, 2022. Dr. Whiteside-Mansell joined the UAMS faculty in 1999 and directed the Research and Evaluation Division (RED) in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine for 12 years. She was Principal or Co-Investigator on more than 40 grants or contracts and had more than 130 peer-reviewed publications. Her many accomplishments include contributing to the first study of Early Head Start, a national study to explore the impact of childcare on children. She led the development of the Family Map Inventories, an innovative tool to identify family strengths and needs in families of children ages birth to 5. She was also co-developer of Together We Inspire Smart Eating (WISE), an obesity prevention program for preschool children, and participated in research to reduce childhood unintentional injuries and adult HIV. The underlying motivation for all her professional pursuits was to improve the lives of vulnerable populations. This was evident in her career as well as her personal life. Most importantly, we will remember her as an unstoppable whirlwind of curiosity, statistical acumen, and compassion for others. These qualities fueled significant advancements in research on factors linked with the development of young children living in poverty. The RED group will continue all the great works that Dr. Whiteside Mansell began and will honor her legacy by continuing to create valuable community partnerships to benefit Arkansans.

University of Memphis. Dr. Bokony’s areas of interest include developing preventive interventions that promote social-emotional development in early childhood and promoting those interventions through parenting education and professional development for childcare and early education professionals.