Melody Wilkinson is a national leader in health equity, public health innovation, and nursing education. She currently serves as Professor at Georgetown University School of Nursing and as a Family Nurse Practitioner at the Charleston Area Medical Center Ryan White Clinic. A lifelong advocate for underserved communities, Dr. Wilkinson has led interdisciplinary, community-based responses to major public health challenges, including HIV and COVID-19. Sponsored by the CDC Foundation, she served as the only nurse on the West Virginia Governor’s COVID-19 Joint Task Force and developed a nationally recognized vaccine equity model. Her international impact includes briefing the Prime Minister of Peru on emergency response strategies. Dr. Wilkinson has influenced U.S. policy through contributions to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and shaped regional responses to HIV outbreaks, particularly in Appalachia. She also developed one of the first competency-based Family Nurse Practitioner programs in the nation, enrolling students from 49 states. Her curriculum innovations - including flipped classrooms, asynchronous/synchronous learning, and inclusive pedagogy - have been adopted nationally and globally, with nearly 30% of graduates serving in underserved areas. Dr. Wilkinson earned her BSN from West Virginia University, MSN from Vanderbilt University, and DNP from Duke University.