Dr. Usha Sambamoorthi is a distinguished professor at the College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, with nearly 35 years of experience in health services research, dedicated to advancing health equity. A pioneer in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into health outcomes research, she has significantly contributed to the field through her impactful publications and mentorship of many doctoral students. Dr. Sambamoorthi serves as one of the Multiple Principal Investigators (MPIs) of the AIM-AHEAD program which aims to leverage AI/ML to improve health outcomes, with a focus on underserved communities.

A highly respected mentor and leader, Dr. Sambamoorthi has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including those from the American Public Health Association, honoring her commitment to fostering the next generation of researchers in health services and AI-driven health equity research.

Dr. Noella C. West is a distinguished national speaker, educator, author, consultant, and the APP Manager of Medicine, Surgical, and Neuroscience at Tampa General Hospital. She is the CEO and founder of Confident NP, an organization dedicated to helping new and experienced nurse practitioners build confidence and advance their careers.

Dr. West is a proud three-time alumna of the USF College of Nursing. She has earned numerous accolades throughout her career, including being voted the 2023 FNPN Nurse Practitioner of the Year for (Florida). She has been interviewed and featured on various podcasts, is a contributing editor for "The Color of Wellness Magazine," and participates in numerous women, and wellness community events, such as AARP's "Walk With The Doc."

Dr. West has played a significant role in obtaining Joint Commission Disease-Specific Certification and Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program certification and recertification for both Primary and Comprehensive Stroke programs. Interestingly, before embarking on her nursing career, she was an artist, with her artwork displayed at CARF, the district office of national rehabilitation.

She has served as chair and member of numerous committees and organizations, including the Advance Practice Council, AANP, AHA, AANN, ARN, FNPN, FONE, Sigma Theta Tau, and BNR. Recently, she became an alumna of Leadership Tampa Bay and serves as the secretary for the class of 2023.

Dean Usha Menon sits down with Caitlyn Brown, the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet Mechanic and Inside Front Tire Changer, to discuss her trailblazing journey as a female mechanic.

You can see Caitlyn Brown in St. Pete March 8-10, 2024, at the Firestone Grand Prix!

Following in the footsteps of trailblazing female icons in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES (NICS), Caitlyn Brown etched her name in the history books on May 28, 2023, as the first female pit crew member to win the Indianapolis 500. Her work as a mechanic and inside front tire changer for the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Chevrolet helped propel Josef Newgarden from the 17th starting position on the grid to win his first Indianapolis 500, and the 19th for Team Penske.

Brown made team history at the start of the 2023 NICS season as the first, full-time female pit crew member in the 57-year history of Team Penske. A native of Wilmington, Illinois, Brown comes from a racing family, herself having competed in four-cylinder dirt track racing in her youth. While she loved the competition that comes with being behind the wheel, the mechanics of making a car perform at its best proved to be Brown’s true calling.

After paying her dues in entry-level positions that helped Brown get her foot in the door of professional motorsports, she began her Team Penske career in 2019 as a NASCAR shop mechanic. Brown then transitioned into the role of fuel cell specialist. Looking for an opportunity as a traveling mechanic with one of the Team Penske teams, Brown first ventured out on the road with the organization’s INDYCAR team during the 2021 season. Before the start of the 2022 INDYCAR SERIES season, she made the transition from fenders to open-wheel cars complete.

It was during the 2021 season that Brown seized her first opportunity to go over the wall with the female-led, Paretta Autosport INDYCAR team in the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. The Paretta team received technical support from Team Penske, and the partnership allowed Brown and others to show what they could do on pit lane in the world’s biggest race.

In the world of motorsports, the Indianapolis 500 provides a daunting level of pressure. When you drive for Team Penske, the winningest team in the history of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the intensity gets ratcheted up even more.

“This is the reason you want to work for Team Penske, to have a shot at winning the Indianapolis 500,” said Brown after the victory. “To play a role in Josef winning his first – and the team’s 19th – is very special. The car doesn’t know what gender you are. If you put the work in, you can have success. I hope it opens the door for other females in the future.”