Raphael D. Florestal-Kevelier

Dr. Raphael Florestal-Kevelier is the Executive Director for Alice! Health Promotion. He joined Columbia Health in 2017 and served as the Director of Alice! Health Promotion through early 2021. Previously he served as the Associate Director for Community Well-being within the Office of Health Promotion at Emory University. Prior to that position, Dr. Florestal-Kevelier served in several capacities in higher education functional areas including residence life, student conduct, and sorority and fraternity life. Originally from Georgia, he received both his bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and a MPH in behavioral science and health education at Emory University. He then earned his PhD in counseling and student personnel services at the University of Georgia.

Dr. Florestal-Kevelier’s scholarship and practice pay attention to health equity in university contexts, mental health and emotional well-being among Black queer and transgender students, and building organizational capacity to prioritize a culture of well-being within which all communities can thrive. In addition to his work within Columbia Health, Dr. Florestal-Kevelier enjoys training future college health, higher education, and public health professionals, teaching courses about health equity and the U.S. healthcare system.

Education:

  • Ph.D., The University of Georgia
  • M.P.H., Emory University
  • B.S., Emory University

Certifications and Licensure:

  • Certified Peer Educator Training Facilitator
  • HIV Pre/Post Test Counseling Certification

Professional Experience:

  • Director, Alice! Health Promotion, Columbia University
  • Associate Director for Community Well-being, Emory University
  • Assistant Director for Prevention Strategies, Emory University
  • Interim Director of Residence Life and Housing Operations, Oglethorpe University
  • Residence Hall Director, Emory University

Published Articles:

  • Coleman, R. D., Wallace, J. K., & Means, D. R. (2020). Questioning a single narrative: Multiple identities shaping Black queer and transgender student retention. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 21(4), 455-475.
  • Means, D. R. & Coleman, R. D. (2018). African American men in STEM: A review of research and new directions. In L. A. Castenel, T. C. Grantham, & B. J. Hawkins (Eds.), Recruiting, retaining, and engaging African-American males at selective prestigious research universities: Challenges and opportunities in academics and sports (pp. 237-247). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
  • Means, D. R., Collier, J., Bazemore-James, C., Williams, B. M., Coleman, R., & Wadley, B. A. (2018). "Keep Your Spirit Aligned": A Case Study on Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Students Defining and Practicing Spirituality. Journal of College Student Development, 59(5), 618-623.
  • Sanchez, T. H., Kelley, C. F., Rosenberg, E., Luisi, N., O'Hara, B., Lambert, R., Coleman, R., Frew, P., Salazar, L. F., Tao, S., Clarke, W., del Rio, C., Sullivan, P. S. (2014). Lack of awareness of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection: Problems and solutions with self-reported HIV serostatus of men who have sex with men. Open Forum Infect Dis; 1(2): ofu084. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofu084

Awards and Honors:

  • American College Health Association 2021 Hannibal E. Howell Award for Promoting Diversity in College Health
  • American College Health Association 2017 New Professional Affiliate Award for Southern College Health Association

​​​​​​​Memberships:

  • ACPA: College Educators International
  • American College Health Association
  • National Association of Student Personnel Administrators