Grant Awardees

Congratulations to our Winter 2025 Grant Awardees 

The purpose of REACH’s grant funding is to put research into practice. Alongside community residents and leaders, we work on innovative approaches to effect long-lasting, systemic change, improving health equity by addressing issues of inequity--including structural and systemic racism—that impact our five social determinant focus areas.

Engaging Latinx Youth to Advance Immigrant Health Equity, Principal Investigator: Karen T. D’Alonzo, PhD RN APN-C FAAN

Pathways to STEM Leadership for Camden High School Students, Principal Investigator: Kwangwon Lee, PhD

Empowered and Healthy Immigrant Families, Principal Investigators: Claudia M. Castillo-Lavergne, PhD and Germán Cadenas, PhD

Which School and Why? Equity in Camden School Choice, Principal Investigator: Michael S. Hayes, PhD

Building Early Education Latiné Educators (BELLE), Principal Investigator: Alexandra Figueras-Daniel, PhD

Enhancing Education and Community Involvement in Food Systems, Principal Investigator: Jeana Wirtenberg, PhD

NEWARK (Nurturing Excellence, Wellness, and Resources for Kindness), Principal Investigator: Olga F. Jarrín, PhD, RN, FAAN

Summer 2024 Grantees

Community-Based Pathways to Brain Health in Older African Americans, Principal Investigator: Mark Gluck, PhD

Catalyzing Resource Development & Capacity within NJ Food Systems, Principal Investigator: Cara Cuite, PhD

Health Literacy Language Programs for Community Newcomers, Principal Invesigator: Mary Curran, PhD

Expanding Equitable Speech & Language Service Provision, Principal Investigator: Kristen Victorino, PhD, CCC-SLP

Scarlet Hope for Autism: The Road to Excellence in Education (SHARE), Principal Investigators: Debra Paone, PhD, BCBA-D, Marlene Brown, M.S., BCBA, LBA

Who Owns Camden? A Community First Initiative, Principal Investigator: Stephen Danley, DPhil

Newark Early Literacy Project, Principal Investigator: Jhanae Wingfield, EdD

Winter 2024 Grant Awardees

Overcoming Mental Health Disparities in Latinx Communities, Principal Investigator: Ann Bagchi, PhD, DNP

Intergenerational Fight Against Menthol, Principal Investigator: Kevin Schroth, JD

Dismantling the “Kids’ Food” Archetype, Principal Investigator: Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia, EdD, RDN

Building a Pathway to a More Diverse Healthcare Workforce, Principal Investigator: Barbara Gladson DeMarco PT, OT, PhD

MAD COOL Girls – Health Empowerment Course, Principal Investigator: Laura Liang, DrPH, CHES, CPH

A Basic Income for Camden, Principal Investigator: Lorraine Minnite BA, MA, M.Phil., PhD

Expanding the Impact of Newark Community Food Systems, Principal Investigator: Jeana Wirtenberg PhD

Transitional Housing Partners with Food Access Initiative, Principal Investigator: Veronica Jones PhD, MPH, CHES

Increasing Capacity to Address Homelessness, Principal Investigator: Daniel Treglia, PhD, MPP

Food is Medicine: A Community Health & Wellness Intervention, Principal Investigator: Novneet Sahu, MD, MPA

Addressing Latino Health Inequities with Enhanced Community Health Workers, Principal Investigator: Rafael Pérez Figueroa, MD, MPH

Camden Y Teen Leaders Program, Principal Investigator: Daniel Tomé, EdD, MEd, BS

Improving Language and Cultural Barriers in SNAP-Ed Programs, Principal Investigator: Julie Frazee, MS, RDN

Summer 2023 Grant Awardees

Empowering Community Through Food Systems, Principal Investigator: Sara Elnakib, PhD, MPH, RDN

Building Partnerships for Population Health, Principal Investigator: Ethan Halm, MD, MPH, MBA

Strengthening Pathways to High School Graduation, Principal Investigator: Vandeen Campbell, PhD

Equity Through Universal School Enrollment, Principal Investigator: Michael S. Hayes, PhD

Equitable Speech & Language Service Provisions, Principal Investigator: Kristen Victorino, PhD

Unhoused in New Brunswick, Principal Investigator: Eric Seymour, PhD, MCPR

Equitable Home Mortgage Lending in Camden, Principal Investigator: Kathe Newman, PhD