Center for Community Health and Engaged Research

Center for Community Health and Engaged Research Working to find solutions to improve health regionally, nationally, and globally.

Finding solutions to end health disparities regionally, nationally, and globally.

09/04/2026

🌊 Access to safe drinking water shouldn't be a question, and NAU researchers are working to make sure it isn't.

NAU chemistry professor Jani Ingram and a team of faculty researchers, in partnership with Navajo Nation leaders and Diné community members, have been sampling well water throughout the region and creating a map showing where water is safe to drink. Their work addresses decades of contamination from uranium mining that has left many of the roughly one-third of Navajo Nation households without piped water at risk.

đź”— Read more about this critical research and its impact on Navajo communities: https://bit.ly/4iFLH2A

09/04/2026

A professor at Northern Arizona University teamed up with Navajo communities to test water quality in remote wells. The map is meant to help tribal members still struggling with the effects of past uranium mining.

08/28/2026

Listen: CHER Associate Director Dr. Samantha Sabo shares her dedication to the community health workforce and public health through advocacy, workforce training, and research.

Go Dr. Sabo!

We’re excited to share a new publication from CHER's researchers and leadership! The study, “Feasibility of integrating ...
08/24/2026

We’re excited to share a new publication from CHER's researchers and leadership!

The study, “Feasibility of integrating Cultural Consensus Modeling into community-engaged research: lessons from rural Arizona,” explores how researchers can use Cultural Consensus Modeling alongside community-engaged approaches to better understand health priorities identified by communities themselves.

The team worked with the RCMI Community Expert Board to develop and pilot-test a survey in English and Spanish. Over six months, 261 people from six Arizona counties participated, with support from three regional community partner organizations.

Beyond the survey itself, researchers spoke with community partners about the recruitment process. Their feedback highlighted important lessons for future research, including the need to account for digital literacy, build trust with communities, and use multiple ways of sharing research opportunities and collecting information.

The study demonstrates the value of thoughtfully combining research methods with community knowledge and experience. It also provides practical lessons for researchers working alongside rural, border, and underserved communities.

Access the publication here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1741925/full

08/21/2026

Happy August!

This week we're highlighting Shanell Yenchik. Shanell is a Program Manager within NAU's Office of Native American and Indigenous Advancement. In her spotlight, Shanell walks us through her role and experience as an NAU partner on a Community Campus Partnership Support project with Sage Memorial Hospital - Navajo Health Foundation.

The Fairness First Campaign shares stories of health research and community partnerships from researchers, students, and community members. To learn more about the Campaign, visit in.nau.edu/sherc/fairness-first

Hear from CHER Research Coordinator Chassity Begay as she speaks to the power of NAU's Master of Public Health - Indigen...
07/23/2026

Hear from CHER Research Coordinator Chassity Begay as she speaks to the power of NAU's Master of Public Health - Indigenous Health track for community-based participatory research.

Chassity is a key member of CHER's Center for Native American Cancer Health Equity (C-NACHE) and conducts research with and for tribal nations across Arizona.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/-oUfKbEdfF4?si=7e0jSfDuHjeoZN9L

Learn more about NAU's Master of Public Health program: https://in.nau.edu/health-sciences/mph-health-promotion/

The five-year, $1.76 million award will support doctoral students pursuing biomedical and health-focused research while ...
07/21/2026

The five-year, $1.76 million award will support doctoral students pursuing biomedical and health-focused research while strengthening the future research workforce through mentorship, hands-on training, and career development.

Congratulations to CHER-affiliated faculty and staff:
Dirk de Heer, Principal Investigator
Jani Ingram, Co-principal Investigator
Cathy Propper, Co-principal Investigator
Kelly Laurila, CHER Research Scientist and Lead Evaluator

"This T32 award from the National Institutes of Health gives NAU doctoral students vital support to pursue research that will tackle health challenges facing communities in Arizona and beyond,” said NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera. “This program reflects NAU’s values of access and impactful research, and it will leave a lasting mark on our university. I am grateful for our faculty who led this proposal and who will support the research, mentorship and success of our doctoral students on their journeys at NAU.”

Stay tuned for Ph.D. opportunities related to receiving this award!

Read the story: https://in.nau.edu/news/nau-t32-grant/

Join our team! 🔊CHER is currently seeking a Research Scientist to join our interdisciplinary team using data driven appr...
06/22/2026

Join our team! 🔊

CHER is currently seeking a Research Scientist to join our interdisciplinary team using data driven approaches to advancing evidence on child autism services, disparities, and outcomes. This role intersects public health, social science, and computational science to make a meaningful difference in the lives of autistic individuals.

The application period closes on July 6, 2026. To learn more about the position and apply, please visit: https://ow.ly/22kQ50Zfkn1

06/15/2026

📢 Join this month’s Tribal Collaborative on Cancer Speaker Series! 📢

Tomorrow, C-NACHE researchers Darold Joseph, PhD and Julie Armin, PhD with the ACS funded "My Health My Choice" project will speak about a cancer screening education program for Native women with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

đź“‹ Gain insight into how this project seeks to improve reproductive health knowledge among women with IDD and to understand how caregiver and institutional settings affect access to cancer screenings.

đź“… Tuesday, June 16, 2026
đź•™ 10:00 AM MST-AZ
đź’» Via Zoom
đź”—Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/iVN4GsxDQ_euatBVZwzesw

Please use the link above to register and feel free to share with your network. We hope to see you there! đź“Ť

Community expertise and public health education came together through the Indian Country CHR ECHO Series, where NAU Mast...
06/11/2026

Community expertise and public health education came together through the Indian Country CHR ECHO Series, where NAU Master of Public Health students joined Community Health Representatives (CHRs) from across the Southwest to explore how data can support community action.

Led by CHER Associate Director Dr. Samantha Sabo, the session highlighted how community data can inform health promotion, program planning, and public health decision-making. MPH student Desirae Bain shared insights alongside CHRs and public health partners, demonstrating the power of shared learning and community-driven solutions.

"As much as I came prepared to share information, I left learning from the very people I was there to support," she said. “These experiences shaped my path into public health and my commitment to supporting Indigenous communities. I have learned that the world around us is all public health.”

The ECHO model creates space for knowledge to flow in every direction. Students learn from community leaders, CHRs share lived expertise, and partners work together to strengthen health outcomes across Indigenous communities.

We are proud to support the next generation of public health leaders while learning from the communities that continue to shape and advance the field.

To read the full feature, please visit: https://maestro.ihs.gov/list/260604A_0/5xc874fpybw7.vib

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