BIOGRAPHY

Byllye Y. Avery, M.Ed.

Biography

A dreamer, visionary, and grassroots realist, Ms. Byllye Avery combines activism with social responsibility to explore women’s health issues. Founder of the Avery Institute for Social Change and the National Black Women’s Health Project, Byllye Avery has dedicated the last 30 years to inspiring women with her experiences, wisdom, and spirit. 

Winner of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Genius award, she has been honored throughout her career, including Lifetime Television’s Trailblazer Award, Essence magazine Award for Community Service and the President’s Citation of the American Public Health Association.  She is a clinical professor at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, an advisor to the National Institutes of Health, and was a visiting fellow at Harvard School of Public Health.