Serena Rajabiun, MA, MPH, PhD, assistant professor, has over twenty years of international and domestic public health experience. Her research focuses on community based strategies and interventions to increase access to and the quality of health care services and reduce health disparities. She works with individuals across the life course,…

Doctoral Fellow Alum Jennica Allen supports the strategic planning process set forth by Dr. Tami Gouveia and the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health (CISWH) team. She worked with other graduate fellows, CSIWH staff, and other team members to prepare the center for work with an outside vendor,…

Senior Project Director Allyson Baughman leads the Health Equity Research Lab. A thought leader and policy specialist, she guides and oversees initiatives that advance research, policy, and practice to promote health equity. Allyson bring to her work nearly two decades of expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis,…

In the Power Building & Leadership Lab, Policy Fellow Sarah Gentner works on the Beyond 2025 Action Hub. She assists in tracking and organizing current and proposed federal policies to build out the Beyond 2025 database. Sarah also authors policy analysis, providing the public with a concise understanding of current…

Graduate Fellow Kimberly Baling’s primary role is leading in the creation and development of the Social Work Innovation Lab. As needed, she assists with other initiatives, including last year’s strategic planning effort and the Beyond 2025 Action Hub, where she is providing support with organizing affinity groups, data management, and…

Social Work Graduate Fellow Abdul Haseeb Hamza has been engaged in research, advocacy, and program development projects at the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health (CISWH) since 2023. His primary focus is improving health equity for people with disabilities. He also contributed to a project using virtual…

Doctoral Fellow Edima Ottoho works closely with CISWH’s executive director to enhance the center’s strategic initiatives. She provides guidance and tools to strengthen team procedures, streamline planning and implementation tracking, and improve performance measurement. Her work supports integration efforts to maximize the effectiveness, cohesion, and impact of CISWH’s labs, projects,…

Doctoral Fellow Melanie Morris is working on the Economic Case for Social Work in Public Health Settings and Healthcare. She has explored the current literature on the role of social work in healthcare, the cost savings and cost-effectiveness of social work interventions, and how social work promotes health equity. Through…

Senior Project Director and Co-Director of the Social Work Innovation Lab Bethlyn Vergo Houlihan leads initiatives that spark interdisciplinary systems innovation to advance humanistic and equitable services inclusive of public health social work. Her work involves guiding program leaders in strategic systems-level improvements, building capacity in health and social systems…

For more than 30 years, Clinical Professor Emerita at Boston University (BU) School of Social Work Betty J. Ruth has taught Ethics, Racial Justice, and Macro Practice, directed professional education programs, and served as the longstanding director of BU’s Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health degree program. Trained…