Charleata Battle, DBA, MBA

Demonstrated engaged-scholarship research and developed learning-relationships as a management and healthcare management faculty member. Instructed graduate students enrolled in the Master of Healthcare Management (MS HCM) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs within the College of Business and Economics.

Directed the academic medical center's 10-person ITIL customer services team, oversaw the infrastructure and flow of technical operations, purchased agency-wide information technology products and services. Managed and directed campus-wide information technology including the development and implementation processes of information technology systems, hardware, and software for the academic medical center and five (5) ambulatory clinic locations. Directed technology compliance
reporting for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).

Reporting directly to the Chief Information Officer, acted as process owner for agency-wide IT operations, controls processes, infrastructure, and IT client services. Oversaw technology network infrastructure and systems functionality. Provided input into technology governance, IT projects, strategy, and organization-wide IT procurements. Co-created RFP's, draft resolutions, and presentations of information technology procurement documents to the Board for approval.

Purpose Although the revised AACSB’s Standard 9 provides a strategic direction, limited research has been conducted on operationalizing its integration into business schools. To address this gap, we defined and evaluated a framework to explicate societal impact through specific inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes at the organizational, student and faculty levels. Design/methodology/approach The study used a mixed-method approach. The data include quantitative and qualitative survey responses from nonprofit executives, which were analyzed using hypothesis testing. The qualitative responses from students were analyzed using natural language processing (NLP), and faculty evaluations used a standardized rubric. Findings The adopted model used in this research effectively measured the societal impact of Sustainable development goal (SDG) 8. Three key findings include: (1) Nonprofit executives reported contributions to their project success rate and enhanced decision-making processes. (2) The evaluation of student perceptions showed growth in career readiness competencies. (3) Faculty assessments indicated strengthened connections between academic preparation and workforce development with SDG 8 goals. The operationalization of activities and outputs within the internship program provided a framework for evaluating organizational and individual career development outcomes. Research limitations/implications This methodology has limitations: it does not account for other factors that may influence participants’ responses. This analysis focuses on determining whether the executive’s viewpoint deviates significantly from a neutral stance without considering the effects of additional variables. Another limitation is the sample size. Research on small sample sizes has demonstrated that the Type I error rate is close to the 5% nominal value in most cases (De Winter, 2019). Practical implications Our findings offer significant implications for AACSB accreditation by providing a practical framework for operationalizing SDG 8, which is used across many currently accredited universities. The paper can be used as supplementary information for AACSB interpretive guidance. This perspective can influence how AACSB evaluates and supports business education programs aimed at providing broader views of program effectiveness and AACSB accreditation of business schools. Future research could focus on providing schools with a comprehensive assessment tool kit for universities seeking accreditation. Social implications Our program can have a national or international appeal. If it can be successfully implemented across multiple universities, federal/state/local municipalities can collaborate with nonprofit organizations to pair with public business schools to achieve the SDGs. Additionally, the government may consider policies requiring organizations that receive loans/funding/support to partner with business schools to bolster participation. This model could serve as a structural architecture for addressing other societal challenges beyond SDG 8, potentially simultaneously evaluating multiple SDGs that affect constituents locally and globally.

Prenatal care (PNC) is a core element of preventive care and is vital in identifying and managing conditions that can put maternal and fetal health at risk. However, not all women benefit from this basic healthcare service. This study explores trends in access to PNC amidst racial inequities and challenges among social determinants of health. To examine the study aim, we analyzed birth records from the North Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System from 2017 to 2021. The primary outcome of interest was the adequacy of PNC, using the Kotelchuck Prenatal Care Index. One-way analysis of variance, chi-square, and logistic regression models were employed to address the study objective. The study included 587,028 women; White women had higher adjusted odds (aOR 1.33 to 1.18; p < .001) of receiving adequate PNC compared to other groups. Black women had lower odds of receiving adequate PNC (aOR = 0.75 to 0.85; p < .001) during the study period. While trends suggested the odds of Black women receiving adequate care are improving over time (p < .001), they remain lower than those of White and Hispanic women. Factors associated with inadequate access to PNC included having less than a high school diploma (p = .004), being unmarried (p < .001), and having Medicaid coverage (p < .001). Equitable prenatal care is essential to reducing maternal health disparities among women of color. This requires diverse healthcare staffing, implicit bias training, technology-supported care options, and addressing social determinants of health.

This study explores the effectiveness of instructor-led, career-driven quasi-virtual internships in improving undergraduate students' career preparedness and teamwork skills. It addresses the gap where many students lack essential career competencies, such as technical expertise and collaborative abilities. The research integrates instructional design theories and applies natural language processing to analyze data from 104 students in an information systems degree program. Findings indicate that these quasi-virtual internships provide a comprehensive career experience similar to traditional internships, particularly in areas like technical knowledge, critical thinking, time management, IT project management, and collaboration. The study suggests that future research could compare instructor-led and sponsored internships, use randomized controlled trials, and expand the sample size for more robust conclusions.