AMHERST, Mass. – Wilmore Webley, associate professor of microbiology and director of pre-med advising, will receive a special award at a community Juneteenth event at the Raymond A. Jordan Senior Center in Springfield.
Webley will be one of two people honored at the June 19 event with the theme “Families First: Back in Stride.” Helen Caulton-Harris, Springfield’s commissioner of health and human services, will also be honored at the event. Webley has been working for several months with the Black Springfield COVID Coalition to help people better understand the science around the virus and the vaccines available and how they were developed with an emphasis on increasing vaccination rates in minority communities. He has worked closely with State Rep. Bud Williams on the project and has participated in many community events and discussion panels in Springfield related to COVID-19.
The Juneteenth event will feature free COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, as well as free food, raffles and music. The event is sponsored by The Brethren Community Foundation of Springfield and co-sponsors include the City of Springfield, Department of Health and Human Services, Baystate Health, Mercy Medical Center, Home City Housing, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, the Urban League of Springfield and the Springfield Black COVID-19 Coalition.
Additionally, Webley will be a panelist at a June 16 event at Baystate Health called “COVID-19 and Equity in the Black Community – What Have We Learned? Where o We Go From Here?”
Webley was recently appointed to the position of associate dean of inclusion and engagement in the UMass Amherst Graduate School. He will assume that role on Sept. 1.