Tracie W. Kirkland is a dual doctorally prepared nurse practitioner at Village Medical in Houston, TX and an associate teaching professor at the University of Southern California serving as lead faculty for pediatric clinical and didactic courses. She is certified in Adult and Pediatric population foci. Her collaborative nature has led to numerous interprofessional opportunities as an academician, clinician, and researcher. Dr. Kirkland challenges norms and difficult issues such as mental health, human trafficking, climate change, and food insecurity. Integrating these issues into her research program has been foundational in demonstrating the intersectionality of determinants of health effect on health outcomes, particularly for underserved populations. She is a champion and leader for interprofessional collaboration, evidenced by research funding as principal investigator in studies linking diabetes and hydration, resulting in publications cited globally. Dr. Kirkland’s active clinical practice and community involvement are exemplary, with numerous honors and awards attesting to the impact of her work for underserved populations in multiple US states. Dr. Kirkland earned her BS from Hampton University, MS from Virginia Commonwealth University and postmaster’s certificates from Johns Hopkins University. She completed a DNP-PhD Program at Texas Woman’s University and a DNP from Texas Christian University.