Jennifer Whittaker: Robert Wood Johnson Fellowship
Jennifer Whittaker, a PhD student in PennDesign’s department of city and regional planning, has been selected to participate in one of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s leadership development programs, designed to equip leaders across the country to collaborate, break down silos and use their influence to make communities healthier and more equitable.
Ms. Whittaker was selected for the Health Policy Research Scholar program. The program helps researchers from all fields—from economics to epidemiology—apply their work to policies that advance equity and health while building a diverse field of leaders who reflect the changing national demographics. The four- to-five-year program provides participants with an annual stipend of up to $30,000.
Ms. Whittaker will focus on addressing health disparities in rural communities in the US through partnering with systems outside of health care. Her work will explore how to implement community and population health-based approaches to providing care in ways that meet the unique needs of rural communities. She is working with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s PolicyLab and building on experiences from University at Buffalo’s Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab.