Kevin Thao, M.D., MPH

Kevin Koobmoov Thao MD, MPH is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He is currently an associate professor at the UW Department of Family Medicine and faculty clinician with the UW Aspirus Wausau Family Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Thao practices full spectrum family medicine including obstetrics in the Wausau community.  His research interests stem from his community involvement activities during medical school.

From an early point in medical school Dr. Thao has been actively involved in health promotion projects in the Madison and Wausau Hmong communities. He has worked in areas of health literacy and community health research. His current project is the Survey of the Health of the Wausau Area Hmong Population (SHWAHP).  This study aims to gather health information from Hmong households to guide community based health programs.

Kajua Lor, Pharm.D., BCACP

Kajua Lor, PharmD, BCACP was the first Hmong pharmacist to obtain a pharmacy academia position in the nation. She joined the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy on August 1, 2016 as an Associate Professor. Previously, Dr. Lor was an Associate Professor at Touro University California College of Pharmacy in Vallejo, CA and Interim Director of Pharmacy at OLE Health a safety net clinic in Napa, CA. She is a board certified ambulatory care pharmacist. Dr. Lor is a Native Hmong speaker with proficiency in Spanish.

The American Pharmacist Association noted her unique consultation skills and she was selected as the One-to-One Patient Counseling Recognition Awardee. Dr. Lor earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy and completed a one-year post-graduate clinical pharmacy residency training at Westside Community Health Services with the University of Minnesota Ambulatory Care Residency Program. She has several peer-reviewed publications and  is co- author of “Getting in: a practical guide to pharmacy admission”

Dr. Lor’s public health research interests include medication adherence, comprehensive medication management and herbal medicines. She was selected as a Programs to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) Scholar in 2012 and completed extensive research training at Columbia University. She has more than 6.5 years of teaching experience and 4 years of leading a Resident Research Seminar.

Alyssa Kaying Vang, PsyD, LP

One of only a handful of Hmong-speaking licensed psychologists nationwide.  She is the first Hmong-speaking licensed psychologist in Minnesota and is considered a pioneer in the field of Hmong mental health.  She holds a Masters and a Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.  She is passionate about providing culturally-responsive and clinically-competent mental health services to diverse communities.

Dr. Vang’s twenty years of clinical experience includes working with individuals across the life span in numerous settings including correctional facility, community clinic, crisis center, school-based agencies, in-patient hospital, and outpatient hospital. She currently has a thriving private practice where she serves a diverse population and treats specific mental health issues such as trauma, depression and anxiety. Dr. Vang has specialized training in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, evidence-based practices, and trauma-informed care.  She is an asset to her Hmong community and continues to consult on culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed, and developmentally-appropriate practices.

Dr. Vang has been featured in the American Psychological Association’s journal, Monitor on Psychology.  She co-authored the chapter “Neuropsychology of Hmong-Americans” in the book, “The Neuropsychology of Asian-Americans.”

In her free time, she enjoys painting, hiking, watching movies, and spending as much time as possible with her husband and three children.

Dia Cha, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

A Professor of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies at St. Cloud State University (SCSU), St. Cloud, Minnesota, and a Research Associate with the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Denver Science Museum in Colorado.  She received many national academic and social group awards for the high caliber of her research and teaching, her service to the community, and her tireless work as a champion of gender and ethnic equality.

In November, 2007, the Hmong American New Year Planning Committee in Minnesota recognized her enormous contributions to the community as an educator in their annual banquet, held in St. Paul, Minnesota.  In April, 2007, Hmong National Development, Inc., recognized the positive impact of her contributions to the betterment of the Hmong people by giving her the Teacher of the Year Award at their yearly conference, held that year in Detroit, Michigan.  She was selected St. Cloud State University’s Professor of the Year in both 2002 and 2004; and was chosen by the Hmong Women’s Action Team, of St. Paul, Minnesota, as the 2002 recipient of their National Hmong Women’s “Courage to Make a Difference” Award.  In 1994, she was named for both the Outstanding Woman Award of Metropolitan State College, Denver, Colorado and the TRIO Achievers Award of the National Council of Educational Opportunity Associations, Chicago, Illinois.

She had twice been called upon to share her expertise with Congress: first, in 1994, before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific’s Hearing on Indochinese Refugee Issues; and again in 2001, for the Congressional Summit on the Status of Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian Americans in Higher Education.

With a great deal of original research to her credit, she has been widely published; two of her best known books are Hmong American Concepts of Health, Healing, and Conventional Medicine (2003), and Dia’s Story Cloth: The Hmong People’s Journey to Freedom (1996).

 

A Professor of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies at St. Cloud State University (SCSU), St. Cloud, Minnesota, and a Research Associate with the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Denver Science Museum in Colorado.  She received many national academic and social group awards for the high caliber of her research and teaching, her service to the community, and her tireless work as a champion of gender and ethnic equality.

In November, 2007, the Hmong American New Year Planning Committee in Minnesota recognized her enormous contributions to the community as an educator in their annual banquet, held in St. Paul, Minnesota.  In April, 2007, Hmong National Development, Inc., recognized the positive impact of her contributions to the betterment of the Hmong people by giving her the Teacher of the Year Award at their yearly conference, held that year in Detroit, Michigan.  She was selected St. Cloud State University’s Professor of the Year in both 2002 and 2004; and was chosen by the Hmong Women’s Action Team, of St. Paul, Minnesota, as the 2002 recipient of their National Hmong Women’s “Courage to Make a Difference” Award.  In 1994, she was named for both the Outstanding Woman Award of Metropolitan State College, Denver, Colorado and the TRIO Achievers Award of the National Council of Educational Opportunity Associations, Chicago, Illinois.

She had twice been called upon to share her expertise with Congress: first, in 1994, before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific’s Hearing on Indochinese Refugee Issues; and again in 2001, for the Congressional Summit on the Status of Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian Americans in Higher Education.

With a great deal of original research to her credit, she has been widely published; two of her best known books are Hmong American Concepts of Health, Healing, and Conventional Medicine (2003), and Dia’s Story Cloth: The Hmong People’s Journey to Freedom (1996).

Youhung Moha Her-Xiong

Youhung Moha Her-Xiong was born in the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand and emigrated with her family to the United States when she was four years old. She grew up in Eau Claire, WI where she attended UW Eau Claire and graduated with her Bachelor’s in Social Work. She received her Master’s in Social Work from UW Madison, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in the PhD in Social Welfare program in the School of Social Work at UW Madison. Her research interests are in health care disparities, aging, end of life care, implicit bias reduction, gender/women related issues in cultures, and racial/ethnic minority community related interventions and education.

She worked as a medical social worker at Mayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire Hospital, where she provided care for patients on several medical units including the critical care unit and the emergency department. She also worked as a family case worker with clients who were screened out of child protective services in St. Paul, MN. Moha gives back to her community through volunteering as a mentor to at-risked adolescents, board members to several organizations, member on several planning committees, and as a volunteer to spend time with Hmong elders who have dementia. Moha also provided free consulting services to several organizations on Hmong related topics. Moha is passionate about helping and working with people, especially with the elders. In her free time, she enjoys walking, running, biking, fishing, reading, and photography.