Scholars

CHSP Alumni Scholars T - Z

Mansoureh Tajik, PhD

Current Position:
Assistant Professor
Department of Community Health and Sustainability
University of Massachusetts at Lowell

Training Site:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Education:
Ph.D, Progress Health & Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado-Denver
MS, Environmental Science, University of Colorado-Denver
BS, Biology, University of Texas-Arlington

Community Health Scholars Program Project:
Main project: "Meaning and Action: Living near an Industrial Hog Operation" Role: Principal Investigator and a partner in a collaborative process with the Concerned Citizens of Tillery in Tillery, North Carolina. The purpose of the study was: 1) to describe how community members living in close proximity to industrial hog operations manage activities of their daily living in chronic presence, or anticipation, of hog odor emanating from these operations; 2) to assess what presence of a hog operation and hog odor means to them and their community; and 3) to determine what steps the community members are willing to take to mitigate their situation.

Research Interests:
Community-Based Participatory Research, Environmental Health and Justice, Sustainable Environmental and Land Development Based On Local Community Participation and Decision Making, Public and Environmental Health Policy, Community Organizing and Social Changes Around Public Health, Systems Thinking and Systems Dynamics, Theories in Social Action, Triangulation of Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Public and Environmental Health, Application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Participatory Action Research at Community Level.

Current Activities:
Collaborative community-university activities are fully integrated into both her teaching and research work. The activities build on a strong partnership developed with several local organizations and boards of health. Relevant to teaching, courses in community health and environment, health promotion, and contemporary health problems, for example, are all designed with a strong service-learning component in which students work (in groups of 3-4) with a local community-based organization and/or a local board of health to address the organizations’ need and to create products that are useful to them and could be used to further their efforts. For example, in the health promotion course, service-learning video production projects are implement such that the students work with their respective CBO collaboratively to produce 5-minute videos about a local public health concern deemed as critical by the CBO. The videos are then used by the organization for outreach, education, and advocacy as appropriate. In another class, students learn how to use and apply Geographic Information Systems (GIS) on a contemporary health issue by working on specific projects needed by the local boards of health to address environmental and public health needs. In addition, Dr. Tajik has ongoing community-based participatory research activities with local organizations addressing urban and suburban environmental health needs around confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), toxic waste sites, sustainable agriculture, and exposure assessment among other. Other research includes evaluation of engaged education and media literacy skills.


Duane Thomas, PhD

Current Position:
Assistant Professor
Applied Psychology and Human Development Division
Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania

Co-Investigator
Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center (PCVPC)

Training Site:
Johns Hopkins University

Education:
Ph.D, Clinical Child Psychology, Pennsylvania State University
MS, Clinical Child Psychology, Pennsylvania State University
BS, Psychology, Virginia Tech University

Community Health Scholars Program Project:
Dr. Thomas' project included developing a parenting module to current psychoeducational preventive-intervention programs housed at the Door, a faith-based, non-profit community organization that provides multiple services and programs to improve the lives of children, youth, and families in the East Baltimore community. A second project involved an initiative with City Springs Elementary, a primary school in East Baltimore. The service-learning initiative seeks to establish an interdisciplinary family support team to work with parents of children who are chronically tardy for school.


Andriette Ward, MD, MPH

Current Position:
Pediatrician
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Training Site:
University of North Carolina

Education:
MD, Case Western Reserve University Medical School
MPH, Health Services, University of California - Los Angeles
BA, Anthropology, Yale University

Research Interests:
Pediatric Medicine, Adolescent Nutrition, & Physical Activity

Community Health Scholars Program Project:
Dr. Ward joined with the Body Shop, a school-based adolescent health clinic that provides accessible, affordable acute and preventive care to roughly 85% of the student population of Horton Middle School in Chatham County, North Carolina to develop a plan to promote nutrition and physical activity in this area where 30% of the students are overweight with a BMI greater than 95%. An additional 18% of the students are at-risk, with a BMI between 85% and 95%.

The objectives of the project were to 1) identify specific environmental changes that can be implemented to improve the nutrition and physical activity of Horton Middle School students, 2) identify ways the Body Shop can facilitate better eating habits and physical activity among Horton Middle School students, 3) identify other community resources available to students and families and 4) to help link students with existing community services.


J DeWitt Webster, PhD

Current Position:

Training Site:
University of Michigan

Education:
Ph.D, Bio-Behavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University
MPH, Health Education, University of Minnesota School of Public Health
BA, Community Health, University of Minnesota-Morris

Community Health Scholars Program Project:
Dr. Webster served as a member of the Evaluation Team with the Genesee County REACH 2010 Project, which aims to reduce the infant mortality disparity between black and white infants in the county by focusing on multileveled initiatives (personal, professional, organizational) related to racism that contribute to the disparity. He specifically assessed the organizational dynamics of the REACH 2010 partnership through questionnaires, interviews and meeting observations. Dr. Webster also assisted with the analysis and application of the Prevention Research Center of Michigan's Speak to Your Health! Community Survey, a telephone survey designed to gain an understanding of Genesee County residents' health and community perceptions.


Deanna Perez Williams, Ph.D, CHES, MA

Current Position:
Boston Mountain Educational Cooperative Migrant Education Coordinator
Associated with Howard University School of Medicine

Training Site:
Johns Hopkins University

Education:
Ph.D, Health Science, University of Arkansas
MA, Medical Anthropology, Southern Methodist University
BA, American History/Telecommunications, Cameron University

Community Health Scholars Program Project:
Since asthma was identified as a major health disparity by the Hispanic Apostolate, a Baltimore CBO, this provided an opportunity for Dr. Williams to partner with Johns Hopkins University and Howard University to design and implement the following CBPR project: "Developing an Asthma Communication Instrument with the Baltimore Hispanic Community." This CBPR project is a component of a current 5-year Howard/Hopkins Center for Reducing Asthma Disparities NHLBI research project. The overall goal is to reduce the disproportionate burden of asthma experienced by inner-city minorities. The goal for developing the Asthma Communication Instrument is to improve patient-provider communication in assessing asthma severity in minority populations in order to assign appropriate treatment.


Sharla Willis, Dr.PH., MPH, MA

Current Position:
Assistant Professor
Health Behavior and Health Promotion
Ohio State University School of Public Health

Training Site:
University of Michigan

Education:
Dr.PH., Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois-Chicago
MPH, University of California-Los Angeles
MA, Latin American Studies, University of California-Los Angeles

Research Interests:
Latino Women's Health

Community Health Scholars Program Project:
Dr. Willis worked on two projects in Detroit, MI aimed at reducing diabetes and cardiovascular disease risks in Latino and African-American communities. The first, Hispanic Women's Perspectives on Physical Activity and Health, used a series of focus groups to develop a diabetes risk reduction intervention with Latino women during and after pregnancy. In the second, Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Detroit Partnership, Dr. Willis conducted a formative evaluation using both qualitative and quantitative methods. She participated in training community members to facilitate focus groups with community residents and in analyzing results from these meetings.


Edith Gaylord Clark Wolff, J.D., MPH

Current Position:
Research Associate Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Health Johns Hopkins University

Training Site:
Johns Hopkins University

Education:
J.D, University of Washington School of Law
MPH, Human Rights, Johns Hopkins University
BA, History, Princeton University

Research Interests:
Health Policy & Father Involvement in Native American Health

Community Health Scholars Program Project:
Dr. Wolff began work with colleagues at The Hopkins Center for American Indian Health in the fall of 1998 on The Fathers Project, a new arm of a teen pregnancy project the center was already operating. The program, Changing Our Lives Through Sharing Our Strength, is a home-visiting teen pregnancy education program in operation at four sites on the Navajo and White Mountain Apache reservations in the Southwest. The center trains native fieldworkers in the basics of healthy pregnancy and pre-natal care. The fieldworkers then deliver that information to pregnant teens through the use of a curriculum designed by Hopkins staff. The program has been highly successful, as determined by data collected during the operation of the program. Dr. Wolff will describe the planning and implementation phases of The Fathers Project. This project represented a successful collaboration between The Hopkins Center for American Indian Health, several generous foundations, and the communities involved. Dr. Wolff is currently a faculty member at Johns Hopkins and continues her work on The Fathers Project. The project has moved into the implementation phase and is in the process of creating the training manual for fieldworkers, and also the materials for the program itself. The community-based nature of this project is demonstrated by the decision making and leadership by senior fieldworkers from the communities served.

Current Activities:
Dr. Wolff serves on the board of Health Alliance International (HAI) based at the University of Washington in its Global Health Department. This organization carries out community-based work in Africa and East Timor.


Anna Yeakley, Ph.D, MSW, MA

Current Position:
Adjunct Lecturer
Multicultural Programs and Services
School of Social Work
University of Michigan

Training Site:
University of Michigan

Education:
Ph.D, Social Work and Social Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
MSW, Community Organizing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
MA, Social Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
BS, Engineering & Applied Science, California Institute of Technology

Research Interests:
Social Services, Latino Health, & Diversity Education

Community Health Scholars Program Project:
Dr. Yeakley was involved in the early developmental stages of a project involving Latina women.


Michael Yonas, DrPH

Current Position:
Research Assistant Professor
Health Behavior and Health Education
Core Faculty
Injury Prevention Research Center
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Training Site:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Education:
DrPH, Population and Family Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
MPH, Maternal and Child Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
BA, Fine Arts, Dickinson College

Community Health Scholars Program Project:
Dr. Yonas completed his Teaching Clerkship during the 2005 spring semester as the Co-Instructor for the graduate course, Community Capacity, Competence, and Power, that was co-taught by Diane Calleson, former CHSP Scholar and Clinical Assistant Professor at the UNC School of Public Health's Public Health Leadership Program, and Geni Eng, CHSP Director and Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education. Moreover, Dr. Yonas was engaged in two CBPR projects. He was working with his community mentor, Vanessa Jeffries, and the Chatham County Pubic Health Department (CCPHD) on the ChangeWork's Dismantling Racism (DR) process, which involved a multilevel approach with a specific focus on institutional-level processes, for reducing racial/ethnic disparities in healthcare. Dr. Yonas was working with the CCPHD in two specific capacities. The first involved engaging CCPHD staff and leadership in the CBPR approach to design and implement a multidimensional surveillance system to monitor changes from their DR process. The second involved adapting the ChangeWork DR process to youth participating in the TeenWorks Teen Center, a CCPHD funded after-school initiative by engaging them, their families, and the Center's staff in a CBPR approach to design, implement, and evaluate a creative arts-based curriculum.

In addition, Dr. Yonas was working with his academic mentor, Geni Eng, and the Greensboro Health Disparities Collaborative, a diverse network of 35 community, advocacy, faith-based, healthcare and academic representatives in Greensboro, to understand and address racial disparities in healthcare. This capacity-building initiative combines the CBPR approach with The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond's Undoing Racism process, which is based on community organizing and mobilizing principles, and is dedicated to addressing the dynamics of institutionalized racism. This project engaged all Collaborative members in: (1) completing training with The People's Institute to establish a common language and conceptual framework for understanding institutionalized racism; (2) completing training on the CBPR approach; and (3) submitting two R21 grant applications to NIH and one SIP (Special Interest Program) grant application to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to explore and document potential explanations for racial disparities in breast cancer mortality.


Angela Odoms Young, Ph.D, MS

Current Position:
Assistant Professor, Kinesiology and Nutrition
College of Applied Health Sciences
University of Illinois at Chicago

Training Site:
University of Michigan

Education:
Ph.D, Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University
MS, Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University
BS, Foods and Nutrition, University of Illinois

Research Interests:
Community Nutrition, Health Disparities, Faith-Based Approaches in the African American Community

Community Health Scholars Program Project:
The University of Michigan School of Public Health had an ongoing relationship with several community-based organizations and agencies in the city of Detroit through the Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center (URC). Funded by the Centers for Disease Control, the URC provided opportunities for Dr. Odoms to participate in projects that addressed health disparities in urban communities and gained a clearer view of issues involved in conducting community-based participatory research (CBPR), including: sustaining partnerships with organizations at the community level, balancing academic-community responsibilities, and securing funding. Dr. Young had a particular interest in incorporating CBPR principles in nutrition research and in working with African-American communities. She worked within the Eastside Village Health Worker Partnership (ESVHWP). Initiated as part of the URC in 1996, the ESVHWP uses a lay health advisor model to address health concerns of women and children in a predominately African-American community in Detroit. Dr. Odoms participated in ongoing project activities, program evaluation, and a diabetes prevention project that focused on training community members to address issues related to healthy eating and physical activity. A second research project in which Dr. Young participated is the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Project. She was involved in planning protocols for African-American and Latino focus groups focusing on diet and nutrition in Detroit.

Current Activities:
Dr. Odoms’ current research is focused mostly on social, cultural and environmental determinants of eating behaviors and obesity risk in African American and low-income populations. She has a project examining relationships between environmental factors, dietary behaviors, and weight status in Latino families with preschool age children and an ethnographic study exploring relationships between neighborhood food environments, food marketing, and over-consumption in African American families with preschool age children.


Carlos Zometa, PhD

Current Position:
Behavioral Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Guide to Community Preventive Services. Atlanta Ga.

Training Site:
University of Michigan School of Public Health (2004-2006)

Education:
University of Florida (BS); University of South Florida (MSPH and PhD)

Research Interests:
Prevention of HIV/AIDS in Adolescents and Young Adults; Prevention of diabetes in African American and Latino populations. Conducting systematic reviews.

KHSP Project:
I designed and implemented two CBPR-based evaluation projects for the CDC funded REACH Detroit Partnership. The first was a process evaluation and refinement of REACH Detroit's diabetes prevention and awareness curriculum for diabetic African American and Latinos that reside in Detroit, MI. I worked with clients and community health workers to identify processes that facilitated the implementation of the meetings and improved the curriculum by adding interactive educational content reflective of both educational and behavioral theories. For the second project, all of the members of the REACH Detroit Steering Committee evaluated their capacity building activities and assisted me in the design of an intervention that would improve their ability to function effectively. Specifically, we attempted to resolve issues related to sustainability of the program, policy, and program management. My projects will empower members of the Reach Detroit Partnership, clients and partners and improve their ability to change the conditions that lead to health disparities.

Current Activities:
As a coordinating scientist at the Guide to Community Preventive Services, I am responsible for conducting evidence-based reviews of community interventions that improve health. I conducted an update of a systematic review of vaccine preventable diseases and worked on another systematic review that aimed to determine the effectiveness of the collaborative care model on depression. I am currently leading a systematic review that will examine the effect of excessive alcohol consumption and related harms on population health.