I am a clinician-investigator with a research focus on behavioral interventions to promote healthy lifestyles in clinical and community settings to address health disparities. I serve as the principal investigator for our five-year CDC REACH (Racial and Ethnical Approaches to Community Health) grant to provide the Hispanic communities in central Pennsylvania the evidence-based tools to improve their health, prevent chronic diseases, and reduce health disparities via community-led culturally tailored interventions. I’ve had the honor to see our REACH team engaged in so many different activities in collaboration with our outstanding community partners – from supporting innovative farm-to-table programs to enhance healthy nutrition to collaborating with our local leaders in designing new spaces for active living to assisting with life-saving initiatives like vaccination efforts.

jkraschnewski@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Andrea joined the College of Medicine in 2018 and has expertise in rural health, racial and ethnic minority health, and social determinants of health. She manages projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Office of Minority Health.

She serves as the Project Director for the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant and project manager for the Advancing Health Literacy through Community Health Workers Award. In addition, she serves as the Community Engagement Director for the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Community-Engaged Research Core as well as the Community Health Equity Engaged Research (CHEER) initiative. In these roles, Andrea identifies and strengthens community-academic partnerships across Pennsylvania communities.

amurray3@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Dr. Calo’s research program examines how to adapt, implement, and evaluate evidence-based interventions to improve vaccination rates and chronic disease prevention among disadvantaged communities, especially Hispanic and rural populations. Dr. Calo is currently focused on studying the impact of communication, health systems, and community interventions on vaccine uptake for COVID-19, influenza, and HPV vaccines. He is Co-Investigator for the CDC-funded REACH (Racial and Ethnical Approaches to Community Health) program at the Penn State College of Medicine. Dr. Calo is also passionate about minority health and the application of implementation science to better advance health equity. He has published over 90 scientific articles, most of them about cancer prevention and control and vaccine communication.  

wcalo@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Laurie Crawford is the Project Manager for the Physical Activity Component of the Penn State REACH Project. She also serves as the Vice President of the Lebanon Valley Bicycle Coalition and Co-Director of the Lebanon Bicycle Recycle. Laurie has a BA in Community Recreation and will complete her Masters in Project Management at the end of the year. Laurie is passionate about cycling, providing bikes for all and improving physical activity in Lebanon County. 

lcrawford4@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Susan Veldheer, Associate Professor in the Departments of Family and Community Medicine and Public Health Sciences at the Penn State College of Medicine is a prevention researcher and a registered dietitian. Dr. Veldheer is leading the Penn State Food as Medicine initiative which uses a health equity lens to develop and test culturally relevant interventions to reduce the burden of diet-related chronic disease in clinical and community-based settings. She leads the Penn State REACH Nutrition Strategy to implement local-level policies and activities that promote food service and nutrition guidelines and associated healthy food procurement as well as coordinating the uptake and expansion of existing fruit and vegetable voucher incentives and/or produce prescription programs.

sveldheer@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Dr. Nirmal Ahuja serves as an Assistant Professor of Biobehavioral Health at Penn State Harrisburg where he is involved in academic teaching and research. Passionate about integrating evidence-based practices into public health strategies, he leverages a robust academic and practical background to drive impactful research and community engagement initiatives. His research interests include cancer prevention and control, health disparities, health equity, community-engaged research, and global health. Dr. Ahuja is serving as an Evaluation Lead for REACH 2.0 and is involved in assessments and tracking of performance measures and project milestones.

naa47@psu.edu

Dr. Raffy R. Luquis is a Professor of Biobehavioral Health and the Interim Director of the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education at Penn State Harrisburg. He has a broad background in health education and health promotion. Dr. Luquis earned his Ph.D. in health science at the University of Arkansas, his M.S. in health education, and his B.S. in science at the Pennsylvania State University. His research areas include cultural competency among health professionals and multicultural health and health equity with an emphasis on health issues affecting the Hispanic/Latino population. He is the co-editor of the book “Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion” and has numerous publications and national presentations at conferences in his areas of expertise.  He is the Director of Justice Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

orl100@psu.edu

Nehath Sheriff is a current Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Candidate at the Penn State College of Medicine. She earned a master’s degree in public health with a focus on community oriented primary care from George Washington University, a bachelor’s degree in public health and biology from the University of Washington, and a certificate in neurobiology and behavior from Columbia University. Nehath is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our communities. Focused on public health, she has a proven track record of identifying solutions to drive health equity initiatives, promote community health, and build sustainable long-term change in collaborative and team-based environments.

nsheriff@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

With an MPH in Community & Behavioral Health, I enjoy working with community-based public health programs. As a senior project manager, I support the administration of the REACH program in the areas of budget, staffing, and planning. I’m excited to see the team’s partnerships and projects build capacity and address local health disparities as our geographic area and strategy components continue to grow.

scichy@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

As a project coordinator, I have enjoyed being able to support multiple aspects of community health ranging from Nutrition to Early Childhood Education. My background in Quantitative Social Sciences has aided me in collaborating with the wonderful REACH component leaders and other staff members to carry out data analysis, scholarship writing, and organizational tasks. One of my favorite parts about REACH is the effort into getting boots on the ground and ensuring that community members and stakeholders are involved in the process as much as possible. It is fulfilling to be able to contribute to a program that centers the community and wants to ensure sustainable, locally tailored changes in policies and programs are implemented. I am excited to keep growing in my role and engaging with the Hispanic/Latino communities in Berks, Lebanon, Dauphin, and York counties!

jgarciaavila@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Ryan is a third-generation photographer and owner of Hayman Creative Studio. Ryan and his team provide strategic creative marketing and communication solutions to the community health, manufacturing, and professional service industries.  For over 22 years Ryan has provided materials that consider the information to-be communicated, values and interests of the target audience, and delivery method.  In 2022 the Hayman team received a national award from the CDC for Best Printed-Material Campaign for their COVID/Flu Vaccination Awareness campaign.

ryan@haymanstudio.com

Natalie brings a wealth of experience and dedication to her role as Executive Director of the Healthy York Coalition. Since joining in March 2021, she has been instrumental in advancing the coalition’s goals to improve the health and well-being of York County residents. Her extensive background includes impactful roles at United Way of York County, Downtown Inc., and the Realtors Association of York and Adams Counties.

Natalie’s commitment to the community is evident through her volunteer work with various local initiatives.  Her academic achievements, with a Master’s Degree from York College of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s from Pennsylvania State University, further highlight her dedication to public policy and community development.

Nikki holds a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from Penn State University. Nikki believes that access to quality healthcare and free or low-cost resources that support whole-person health are critical to a thriving, healthy community. Her passion for public health, outdoor recreation, and lifelong wellness make her role at the Community Health Council a dream job.

Brittney Fuhrman, MPH is a dedicated public health specialist with extensive experience in program management, grant writing, and leading public health initiatives. Currently serving as a Public Health Specialist at the Emergency Health Services Federation, she manages a range of projects related to vaccine equity, harm reduction, and community safety.  She is also the Unit Leader for the South Central Pennsylvania Medical Reserve Corps, a volunteer organization dedicated to improving community resiliency. With a Master’s in Public Health from South Dakota State University, she is passionate about driving community health improvements and fostering partnerships to promote health equity.