Serita M. Reels, MPH

Serita M. Reels earned a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Community Health and Prevention from Drexel University School of Public Health. She also holds her Bachelors of Science in Biology with a minor in Sociology from Drexel University College of Arts and Sciences. She is currently a grant manager with LaSalle University’s Office of Ministry, Service, and Support. Serita brings superior skills in program development and evaluation, performance management, strategic planning, and coordinating state and federally funded projects that met the needs of underserved populations. She is skilled at translating public health research into practice.

Serita has a diverse set of experiences in academia, nonprofit organizations, and state government agencies. Prior to joining LaSalle, she served as the project coordinator for Philadelphia Ujima Coalition for a Healthier Community (Drexel University College of Medicine, Women’s Health Education Program) and worked as a public health program prevention specialist for the New Jersey Department of Health. Serita’s research interests include: gender and race based health disparities, adolescent health equity, health education and promotion interventions, verbal abuse, and student leadership and development.

Areas of Expertise

• Program Planning Process
• Health Education
• Grant Management
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Community-Academic Partnerships
• Urban Health and Social Equity
• Student Workforce Development and Leadership

Education

• MPH, Drexel University School of Public Health, Concentration: Community Health and Prevention
• BS, Drexel University College of Arts and Sciences

Certifications

• Master Certified Health Education Specialist
• Mental Health First Aid (adults/youth)

Teaching

• PHLT 750 & 751 Public Health Practice Experience 1,2: Seminar
• PHLT 411-42 Public Health Education Capstone 2

Publications

Núñez, A. Robertson-James, C., Reels, S., Jeter, J., Rivera, H., Yusuf, Z., Liu, F. Exploring the role of gender norms in nutrition and sexual health promotion in a high school based intervention: The Philadelphia UjimaTM experience. Journal of Evaluation and Program Planning.2015;51:70-77.

Woloski, J., Robertson-James, C., Reels, S., Núñez, A. Childcare responsibilities and women’s medical care. Journal of Women’s Health Issues & Care. 2014;3:1.

Nunez, AE., Robertson-James, C., Reels, S., Weingartner, RM., Bungy, B. Conducting a needs assessment for women and girls using a gender analysis framework: The Philadelphia Ujima Coalition for a Healthier Community Experience. Women’s Health Issues. 2012; 22(6):527-523

Presentations

Public Health Coalitions in South Jersey. Panelist. Rutgers University, Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs, Forum about South Jersey. February 13, 2015.

Taking off the Holiday Pounds for a Healthier You.  Oral presentation at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. First Fridays Speaker Series, January 2013.

How to Have a Healthy Relationship: What Every Teenager Should Know. Oral presentation at Germantown High School. ER in the Classroom Program. February 2013.

Considering the Medical School Curriculum: What Doctors Don’t Know about Nutrition…and

Should! Panelist, St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children, FreshRx: The Symposium. June 2012

Train the Trainer: Philadelphia Ujima and Community/ Lay Health Workers Program. Facilitator,

Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Department of Maternal and Child Health. April 2012

Women’s Health & Gender/Cultural Research. Oral presentation. Drexel College of Medicine, Internal Medicine Resident Research Seminar. April, 2012.

Nutrition and Patient Care. Oral presentation, Drexel University College of Medicine, Women’s Health Seminar Series. February 2012

Individual, social, and community factors related to women’s health across the lifecycle. Poster presentation at the American Public Health Association 139th Annual Meeting and Exposition; 2011 Oct 29-Nov 2; Washington, DC.     

The Importance of Nutrition and Fitness in the Context of HIV. Invited presenter, Dorothy Mann Center for Pediatric and Adolescent HIV at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. SWEAT program August 2011.

Health Alert:  Resuscitating Life for Future Generations – Alarming Challenges and Promising Opportunities Perspectives from Philadelphia Ujima Coalition for a Healthier Community.  Speaker, NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference Annual Convention. October 2010

The Role of Social Marketing and Health Communication Programs. Oral presentation, Drexel University College of Medicine, Women’s Health Seminar Series. January 2009.

The Philadelphia Ujima Health Project: Various speaking engagements and presentation. March 2008 – August 2014.

Trainings

CityLeaders Training presented by CityMatch – National Organization of Urban Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leaders. 2014