Centering the Community
“Learning that extends outside the classroom made my education more impactful and meaningful.” – MPH Public Health Leadership student
The Community Corps initiative centers our community partners in everything we do. This includes the ways that we promote the education and skills development of our current and future workforce; the ways that we co-seek, develop and implement solutions for healthier communities; and the multitude of ways that we bridge lived experience, practice expertise and research-based evidence.
Every day, our students, faculty and staff live these values as we pursue the UNT Health mission to create solutions for a healthier community. While many of our team members are deeply invested in improving the health of our surrounding North Central Texas communities, others are pursuing solutions across the globe. Our five values define how we work together to reach our goals as an institution.
Explore our UNT Health Values
| Name | Title & Organization | Governance Committee Role |
| Chara Stewart Abrams, MPH | System Director, Community Health and Health Equity, CHRISTUS Health | Co-Chair |
| Emily Spence, PhD, MSW, SPH, CHWI | Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Health Equity, College of Public Health, UNT Health | Co-Chair |
| Heather Brizendine, MPH, ACPS, SPH | Senior Director of Prevention Services, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County | Member |
| Ashenafi Cherkos, PhD, MPH | Assistant Professor, College of Public Health, UNT Health | Member |
| Leilani Dodgen, PhD, MPH | Research Scientist, Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center | Member |
| Becky Earlie-Royer, PhD, MPH, CHES | Deputy Regional Director, Texas Department of State Health Services Public Health Region 2/3 | Member |
| Linda Fulmer, MEd | Executive Director, Healthy Tarrant County Collaboration | Member |
| Jessica Guerra Martinez, MPH, SPH | Program Manager, Community Development, CHRISTUS Health | Member |
| Annabel Luna-Smith, MS, CHW, CHWI | Community Liaison, Project Manager; Office of the Provost, UNT Health | Member |
| Uyen-sa Nguyen, PhD | Associate Professor, College of Public Health, UNT Health | Member |
| Charlotte Noble, PhD | Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Academic Services, Assistant Professor, UNT Health | Member |
| Allen K. Solenberg, Jr., PhD | Associate Professor, Master of Health Administration Program Director, College of Public Health, UNT Health | Member |
| Jacklinn Sotello, MPH | Executive Director of Community Health, YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth | Member |
| Yvette Wingate, EdD | Division Manager, Community Health Equity and Inclusion, Tarrant County Public Health | Member |
Creating solutions for a healthier community necessitates strong partnerships between researchers and community stakeholders. The North Texas region is rich in community assets, but like most urban areas, struggles to ensure the health and well-being of all residents. Implemented in 2017, the Academic Community Partnerships (ACP) Advisory Board brings together community members and UNT Health faculty, staff and students to promote effective partnerships that result in a healthier community.
The College of Public Health has a long history of community involvement through a variety of advisory groups. The ACP board is appointed by the College of Public Health leadership and meets quarterly to establish connections, review community and school activities, and provide advice related to school and community strategies.
“It’s been probably one of my favorite things about our program, is that we have the opportunity to learn from people that have that experience, and it really does boil down to what we actually need. I think it will really benefit us knowing the meat in the bone of what we actually need to know.” – MHA Student
Biostatistics and Epidemiology
BIOS 6320: Biostatistical Research and Consulting:
“A good opportunity to work with real life data that community partners gathered themselves. We were able to gain experience and help partners pinpoint things they could consider or use in the future when gathering other data.” – MPH Biostats Student
Students complete a research, evaluation or consulting project with a professor or community partner where they assess, analyze, write, and present findings to meet the needs of their “client.”
Health Behavior and Health Systems
BACH 5350 Community Health Program Evaluation:
“I enjoyed being able to see the realities of the concepts we learn.” – MPH PHL Student
Students utilized evaluation training received in the first half of the semester to conduct an evaluation for a community partner in an area of need indicated by the partner. Evaluations consisted of data collection and analysis as well as producing materials and recommendations for the partner to use moving forward.
MACH 5335 Human Sexuality and Reproductive Health:
“We were able to take something that was currently going on that would benefit a community partner, but also make it fit the needs of the students about a specific content area.” – Dr. Stacey Griner, Course Instructor/Assistant Professor
Dallas Salvation Army was looking to expand their programming and they wanted to know what that what the people in their community needed, because they were aiming to map out everything across the county. Proposal was introduced to class the students provided support by conducting needs assessment in service community, which specifically consisted of analyzing reproductive health policies that may be impacting care as a class and individually talking with community stakeholders that were focusing on reproductive health.
Meet Our Team
Emily Spence, PhD
Associate Dean for Community Partnerships and Practice; Professor, Population and Community Health
Contact Dr. Spence
