Alumni Spotlight - July 2025
Georgia Powell, DHA (’00 BS HDFS)
Dr. Georgia Powell earned her Bachelor of Science in HDFS with a minor in Gerontology from UConn in 2000. Since then, she has dedicated her career to improving health outcomes and advancing mental wellness across vulnerable populations. With over 25 years of experience, she has held leadership roles in the healthcare and insurance industries. Her work has focused on clinical operations, public health education, research, and program implementation, especially in underserved communities.
Dr. Powell is the Founder and Executive Director of Powell Mental Health and Powell Consulting Services. In these roles, she leads culturally responsive, trauma-informed programs that promote accessible care and community-based wellness. She also certifies professionals and community members as Mental Health First Aiders nationwide. In addition to her consulting and clinical work, Dr. Powell is an adjunct professor, national speaker, and advocate for mental health equity. In a full-circle moment, Dr. Powell will return to UConn HDFS this fall as a professor, where she will teach and inspire future leaders in the field, emphasizing the vital importance of supporting and advocating for the older adult population. Her future goals include expanding her wellness model internationally and advocating for policies that improve care coordination for older adults and marginalized groups.
Outside of her professional life, Dr. Powell is a wife and proud mother of two. She enjoys faith-based service, wellness retreats, and uplifting other women through mentorship. She remains active in her community through leadership on multiple boards, including Hartford Healthcare, UConn Center on Aging, and the Network Against Domestic Abuse. Her work is grounded in a passion for service, advocacy, and community healing, values she first embraced at UConn and from her late grandmother, Vashti Mills.
See Previous Alumni Spotlights
2024
January- Michael Munoz
February- Jessica Gagnon
March- Amber Eddy Martinez
April- Susan Bartle-Haring
May- Melissa Lovitz
June- Mamta Saxena
July- Cheryl Hilton
August- Tonya Kmetz
September-Paige Desjardins
October- Taylor Maag
November- Colleen Vesely
December- Christine T. Perkins
2023
January- Maria Tsamaase
February- Andrea Lopez Salazar
March- Annelise Lapides
April- Katherine Velez
May- Gary Steck
June- Lois Sadler
August- Jessica Dunn
September- Jennifer Cecarelli
October- Blake Brandes
November- Sara Johnson
December- Linette Azzi-Lessing
2022
January- Kristina Sluzewski-Soderholm
February- Luke Russell
March- Rona J. Karasik
April- Elizabeth (Beth) Wilke
May- Kate Kellet
June- Diondra Brown
July- Amy Roberge
August- Jill Popp
September- Tatiana Melendez-Rhodes
October- Joshua Miller
November- Ashely Dyer
December- Samantha Shaak