Recent News

Faculty and staff with the Collaboratory for Health Justice pose for a photo.
MacArthur grant aims to build community capacity in public health
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
SPH's Collaboratory for Health Justice is one of 35 recipients of public health-focused grants from the MacArthur Foundation, funding that will build reciprocal relationships with CBOs and foster youth citizen scientists.
Vaccine Access Reveals Longstanding Disparities
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Jeni Hebert-Beirne told USA Today community-engaged researchers are not surprised by the racial inequities revealed in Chicago's initial data on COVID-19 vaccinations.
Inequities in Early Vaccination Data
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Jeni Hebert-Beirne, a community engagement expert, was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune on early data showing north side residents are receiving the majority of vaccines.

Announcing CHJ's Strategic Plan 2021-2026

About the Collaboratory

The UIC School of Public Health Collaboratory  for  Health  Justice is dedicated to enhancing reciprocal engagement between the community and UIC faculty, students, and staff. Our emphasis is on connecting people to each other and to resources that will ultimately improve their public health research, teaching, and practice. We strive to advance health justice—that all people would have the power and resources to have agency over their health, which requires addressing systems of oppression such as classism, racism, sexism and xenophobia.

Mission

Our mission is to support academic-community partnerships by facilitating the meaningful participation of broad stakeholders; fostering representation & presence in academic settings; and providing training and technical assistance for integrating community engagement across research, teaching and practice.

Vision

Our vision is health justice attained through active participation of broad stakeholders in the UIC School of Public Health through research, teaching and practice.

Leadership

Interim Director & Associate Dean for Community Engagement
Jeni Hebert-Beirne
Interim Director & Associate Dean for Community Engagement
Community Engagement Fellow
Alexis Grant
Community Engagement Fellow
Collaboratory Coordinator
Maggie Acosta
Collaboratory Coordinator
Chicago COVID-19 Contact Tracing Corps Coordinator
Melissa Martin
Chicago COVID-19 Contact Tracing Corps Coordinator
Research Specialist, Collaboratory
Glenna Sullivan
Research Specialist, Collaboratory
Research Specialist, Collaboratory
Leslie Gates-Durr
Research Specialist, Collaboratory

Our Team

Research Specialist, CACHET and Transformation
Daisy Magana
Research Specialist, CACHET and Transformation
CBPR Fellow
Elise Hu
CBPR Fellow
Doctoral Fellow, ChiTracing
Ayo Olagoke
Doctoral Fellow, ChiTracing
Research Assistant, ChiTracing
Concetta Reda
Research Assistant, ChiTracing
Research Assistant, ChiTracing
Mayra Diaz
Research Assistant, ChiTracing
APE Student
Elizabeth Akinboboye
APE Student
APE Student
Carla Chavez
APE Student
APE Student
Michaela Riley
APE Student
APE Student
Carolina Rojas-Becerra
APE Student
APE Student
Stephanie Salgado
APE Student

Implementation Task Force

Thank you to our Implementation Task Force who provided strategic direction from our inception through Summer 2020.

  • Susan Altfeld, PhD

    Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

  • Antoniah Lewis-Reese

    Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives

  • Kaye Oberhausen

    Assistant Dean of Advancement

  • Eve Pinsker

    Clinical Assistant Professor of Community Health Sciences

  • Amber Uskali

    Assistant Director, P3RC Center