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Photo of Welter, Christina R

Christina R Welter, DrPH '10, MPH

Clinical Associate Professor

Director, DrPH Program

Health Policy and Administration

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Contact

Building & Room:

757 SPHPI

Address:

1603 W. Taylor St.

Office Phone:

(312) 355-5303

Email:

cwelte2@uic.edu

About

Christina R. Welter, DrPH, MPH (she/her) is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Health Policy and Administration Division at the University of Illinois Chicago, School of Public Health where she also serves as the Director of the Doctor in Public Health Leadership Program and the Associate Director of the Policy, Practice, and Prevention Research Center. Dr. Welter is a nationally recognized policy practitioner, visionary leader, and practice-based researcher committed to helping organizations and communities co-create equity-centered policy and systems change. Dr. Welter oversees multiple applied research and workforce development initiatives where she has catalyzed several award-winning cross-sectoral leadership collaboratives, co-designed novel capacity building initiatives, and built or translated evidence to foster policy adoption and implementation. She is also the co-editor and co-author of Leading Systems Change in Public Health: A Field Guide for Practitioners. 

Dr. Welter proudly served as one of the Deputy Incident Commanders for the Illinois Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 response during the Spring, 2020, helping the state to expand its strategic management, data systems, and policy response approaches. Prior to coming to UIC, Dr. Welter served as the Deputy Director at the Cook County Department of Public Health. She received her Doctorate in Public Health Leadership from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health and her Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan in Health Education and Health Behavior.

Selected Publications

Abridged: Peer-reviewed articles

  1. Welter, C., Davis, S., Elnicki, J., Kulik, P. K., Lloyd, L. M., Tenney, M., … & Walter, C. (2022). Public Health Learning Agenda for Systems Change Toolkit: National Pilot Evaluation Results. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 10-1097.
  2. Meredith, G. R., Welter, C. R., Risley, K., Seweryn, S. M., Altfeld, S., & Jarpe-Ratner, E. A. (2022). Master of public Health education in the United States today: building leaders of the future. Public Health Reports, 00333549221121669.
  3. Welter, C., Jarpe-Ratner, E., Bonney, T., et al. (2022). Evaluation Results From the Healthy Work Collaborative: A Cross-Sectoral Capacity Building Partnership to Address Precarious Employment. Health Promotion Practice. doi:10.1177/15248399211069099
  4. Welter, C. R., Risley, K. Y., & Castillo, G. (2022). Imagining the Future: Leading Systems Change to Address Today’s Problems. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 28(2), 214-215.
  5. Welter, C. R., Jarpe-Ratner, E., Seweryn, S., Bonney, T., & Verma, P. (2021). Results From a National Mixed-Methods Study Exploring Community Health Improvement Implementation: An Opportunity to Strengthen Public Health Systems Through Collective Action. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.
  6. Welter, C., Herrera, Y., Uskali, A. L., Seweryn, S., Call, L., Lasky, S., … & Ezike, N. O. (2021). Assessing Local Public Health Agency Alignment With Public Health 3.0: A Content Analysis of Illinois Community Health Improvement Plans. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.
  7. Welter, C., Jarpe-Ratner, E., Bonney, T., C. Pinsker, E., Fisher, E., Yankelev, A., … & Zanoni, J. (2021). Development of the Healthy Work Collaborative: Findings From an Action Research Study to Inform a Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change Capacity-Building Initiative Addressing Precarious Employment. Health Promotion Practice, 22(1), 41-51.
  8. Bonney, T., Welter, C., Jarpe-Ratner, E., Velonis, A., & Conroy, L. (2020). Role of technical assistance in US labor and health sector collaboration to address precarious work. Health Promotion International.
  9. Welter, C. R., Xu, D., Lurie, R. H., Fouche, S., Naji, S., & Bisesi, M. (2020). Increasing Environmental Public Health Practitioner Capacity to Address Population Health Challenges: Evaluation Results From a Workforce Development Project. Journal of Environmental Health, 82(10).
  10. Welter, C. R., Bekemeier, B., & McKeever, J. (2020). Results and Recommendations From a National Public Health Workforce Development Systems Assessment Conducted in the United States. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 2373379920907640.
  11. Kovach, K. A., Welter, C., Seweryn, S. M., Torres, G. (2018). Perceived Benefits of Collaboration between Local Health Departments and Schools and Programs of Public Health: A Mixed-Methods Study. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 25(2), 147-155. DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000823
  12. Lenihan, P., Welter, C., Brandt-Rauf, P., Neuberger, B., Pinsker, E., Petros, M., Risley, K. (2015). The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health Doctor of Public Health Program: An Innovative Approach to Doctoral-Level Practice Leadership Development. American Journal of Public Health, 105(S1), S55-S59. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302331

Edited Books
Risley, K. Y., Welter, C. R., Castillo, G., & Castrucci, B. C. (Eds.). (2022). Leading Systems Change in Public Health: A Field Guide for Practitioners. Springer Publishing Company.

Abridged Practice-based scholarship

  • Welter, C., Davis, S., Lloyd, L., Rose, B., Todd, K. Creating a Learning Agenda for Systems Change: A Toolkit For Building An Adaptive Public Health Workforce (December 2020). Public Health Training Centers with funding from Health Resources and Services Administration. https://publichealthlearningagenda.org/.
  • Fisher, L., Kapadia G., Dixon, A., Bonney, T., Zanoni. J., Pinsker, E., Jarpe-Ratner, E., Love, M., Yankelev, A., and Welter, C., (2019). “Healthy Work Collaborative: Examples from the Field. Partnerships to Advance Worker Health through Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change.” Center for Healthy Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Available at: https://healthywork.uic.edu/healthy-work-collaborative. Principal Investigator.
  • Illinois Prevention Research Center, Action Learning Brief Series, April 2019:
    1. Welter, C., Jarpe-Ratner, E., Massuda-Barnet, G., Chebli, P., Kite, H., Geraci, M., Becker, A., and Hachett, L. “Six Phases for Building Sustainable Impact.” Action Learning Brief No.002. Illinois Prevention Research Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL. April 2019. illinoisprc.org/publications/
    2. Welter, C., Jarpe-Ratner, E., Massuda-Barnet, G., Chebli, P., Kite, H., Geraci, M., Becker, A., and Hachett, L. “Key Drivers of Success: What catalyzes lasting change in your organization or community?” Action Learning Brief No.003. Illinois Prevention Research Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL. April 2019. illinoisprc.org/publications/
    3. Welter, C., Jarpe-Ratner, E., Massuda-Barnet, G., Chebli, P., Kite, H., Geraci, M., Becker, A., and Hachett, L. “Technical Assistance Types: What support is needed to catalyze policy, systems, and environmental change?” Action Learning Brief No.004. Illinois Prevention Research Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL. April 2019. illinoisprc.org/publications/
    4. Welter, C., Jarpe-Ratner, E., Massuda-Barnet, G., Chebli, P., Kite, H., Geraci, M., Becker, A., and Hachett, L. “What are action steps and resources to help my organization apply the six Phases of PSE Change?” Action Learning Brief No.005. Illinois Prevention Research Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL. April 2019. illinoisprc.org/publications/.

Service to Community

March 2020 - May, 2020 Deputy Incident Commander, COVID-19 Response, Illinois Department of Public Health

2017 - 2020  Elected Member At-Large, Illinois Public Health Association

2019 - 2020  Invited Academic Member, Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships Evolution Steering Committee,
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

2012 - 2015 Site Visitor Chair, Public Health Accreditation Board

2011 - 2014 Appointed Governor’s State Health Improvement Plan Implementation Coordination Council

2007 - 2011 Invited Member, National Public Health Accreditation Board, Standards and Measures

Notable Honors

2018, Runner-up, Research to Practice Award, Health Administration Section, American Public Health Association

2018, Public Health Program of Excellence Award, Illinois Public Health Association

2017, Honorable Mention, 2017 Delta Omega Award for Innovative Public Health Curriculum, Delta Omega National Public Health Honor Society

2013, Active Living Research, Translating Research to Policy Award Recipient, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

2018 -2019, Faculty Fellowship, Policy and Social Engagement Fellowship, Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy,

Education

2010 Dr.P.H. Public Health Leadership, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL

2000 M.P.H. Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Interdepartmental Concentration in Women’s and Reproductive Health

1998 B.A. Medical Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Honors in Anthropology and Women’s Studies; Graduate Magna Cum Laude
Minor: Sociology, Gerontology, and Women’s Studies

Professional Memberships

American Public Health Association

American Evaluation Association

Society of Public Health Education

Illinois Public Health Association

Selected Presentations

  1. Welter, C., (June 21, 2022). Change Leadership approaches to facilitating a more resilient and adaptive workforce. Federal Office of Rural Health Policy: Rural Health Care Services Outreach.
  2. Welter, C., (May 4, 2022). Change Leadership approaches to facilitating a more resilient and adaptive workforce. Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Rural Care Coordination and Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Programs.
  3. Welter., C. Davis, S., Lloyd, L., Rose, B., Todd, K. (October, 2021) Creating a learning agenda for systems change: A toolkit for building an adaptive workforce to address complex community challenges. American Public Health Association. October 27, 2021.
  4. Welter, C. and Tagtow. A. (October 19, 2021) Advancing the Future of Nutrition & Dietetics Through Systems Thinking Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Virtual Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo.™
  5. Welter, C. and Greenleaf, R. Facilitating a more resilient and adaptive workforce during times of crisis (September 2020). Division of Maternal Child Health Workforce Development. All Center Directors.
  6. Welter, C., Massuda Barnett, G., Fisher, L, and Deb, N. Healthy Work Collaborative: Addressing Precarious Work through Strategic Public Health Partnerships (2020, July). NACCHO Annual, Denver, CO.
  7. Welter., C. Davis, S., Lloyd, L., Rose, B., Todd, K. (January 21, 2021) Learning Agenda Toolkit: Introduction and Applications. Centers for Disease Control. Education and Training Services Branch.
  8. Welter, C., Cibulskis, A., Tendick-Matesanz, F., Fisher, L. (2020, February). Healthy Work Collaborative: Advancing Total Worker Health ® to Address Precarious Work through Cross-Sector Partnerships. National Occupational Research Agenda Services Sector Council. Webinar.
  9. Welter, C. (2020, February). Precarious Employment. Panelist at the American Public Health Association Policy Institute. Washington D.C.
  10. Welter, C. Evaluation of Community Engaged Research and Translation Processes: Lessons Learned from Three Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Prevention Research Centers. Moderator. (2019, November). American Evaluation Association.
  11. Welter, C., Jarpe-Ratner, E., and Slater, S. Engaged Scholarship: Lessons Learned from the Illinois Prevention Research Center to Increase Partner and Community Readiness for Translation and Implementation of Policy, System and Environmental Change Initiatives. Presenter. (2019, November). American Evaluation Association.

Research Currently in Progress

https://healthywork.uic.edu/

https://p3rc.uic.edu/

https://publichealthlearningagenda.org/