Faculty members Dr. Jennifer Mabry, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, and Dr. Emily Lee, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, of Tennessee Tech University’s Whitson Hester School of Nursing, were recognized with the Partner and Leadership (PAL) Award at the Tennessee Public Health Association (TPHA) annual membership meeting on September 18, 2025. The PAL Award is presented to non-public health professionals, groups, or organizations whose extraordinary contributions advance public health and establish a model for others. This recognition was conferred for the development and expansion of the Collaboration for Healthcare Access in Rural Tennessee (CHART) Project, an academic-practice partnership designed to address inequities in healthcare access among medically underserved populations.