Community Engagement Core
The vision for the Community Engagement Core (CEC) is to serve as the information and communication axis for GC-CPEH stakeholders and target audiences. Our mission is to facilitate the translation of Center science, increase environmental health literacy, and build relationships that lead to research responsive to community needs.
Our ultimate goal is to enhance community awareness and understanding of environmental health issues while helping researchers identify community concerns and incorporate them into scientific studies.
Community Advisory Board (CAB)
Community Voices Guiding Environmental Health Research
The Community Advisory Board (CAB) brings together trusted partners from across the Gulf Coast to guide the CEC. CAB members review progress, raise community concerns, and help shape engagement priorities.
Since 2020, CAB members have provided critical insight across areas including environmental health, public health, veterans’ issues, disaster resilience, and community outreach. Many now play active roles in Center research and engagement activities, strengthening the connection between academic research and community priorities.
Our CAB Members
- Jennifer Thickitt – Air Program Manager and Lead Risk Assessor, Galveston County Health District (Environmental Public Health)
- Jackie Young-Medcalf – Texas Health and Environmental Alliance (TEHA) (Community Environmental Health Issues)
- John Hall, PhD – Former Director, TCEQ; Houston Advanced Research Center (Disaster Response and Public Health)
- Mark Winter, PhD – Pharmacologist and Toxicologist, Southeast Texas Poison Center (Disaster Response and Public Health)
- Rev. David Begany – Pastor, Holy Family Catholic Church, Baytown (Faith-based Community Outreach)
- Cornelius Blackshear – Veterans Affairs / formerly Mission United (Veterans Issues and Programs)
- Sasha Francis – Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Volunteer (Water Quality)
- Mike Mastrangelo – University of Texas Medical Branch (Disaster Response, Regional Preparedness, Healthcare Systems)
- Jennifer M. Hadayia – Executive Director, Air Alliance Houston (Air Quality)
- John Smith – Combined Arms (Veterans Issues and Programs)
CEC Activities
The CEC advances its mission through coordinated activities that translate research into practice, foster community partnerships, and ensure alignment between scientific priorities and community needs.
Between Service & Science: The Veterans’ Health Podcast
The CEC leads Between Service & Science, a podcast that brings together researchers, clinicians, veterans, and community members to explore emerging research on environmental exposures and veteran health. Each episode highlights a recent study and translates complex science into clear, practical insights for veterans and their families.
Mobile Clinical for Outreach and Community Health (Mobi-COACH)
The Mobi-COACH is a mobile clinical research unit that brings research directly into community settings. It supports biospecimen collection, health assessments, and field-based studies, expanding access to participation for veterans and underserved populations.
Our Mobile Clinical Research Unit (Mobi-COACH) is a modified 32’ 2005 Winnebago Journey 32T powered by a 300-horsepower Cummins® diesel engine as well as a solar-powered charger. The vehicle also includes a 7,500-watt Onan Quiet Diesel generator to power the vehicle when it is stationary as well as a converter charger and charge connector to enable recharging of batteries via shore power. Included are RV leveling jacks, patio and front entrance awnings, slide-out toppers, dual pane windows, air horns, satellite dish and elevation sensor, six-way power driver seat, passenger seat with footrest, rearview monitoring system, water purification system, and new tires.
The vehicle has been retrofitted to include a phlebotomy lab that satisfies clinical laboratory facility regulations, including the replacement of all permeable surfaces with materials resistant to biological contamination. The lab includes a regulation phlebotomy chair as well as countertop space sufficient for a mounted centrifuge to process drawn blood. Also included is a fully functional freezer for storing samples and multiple locking storage units for storing supplies (blood tubes, gowns, gloves, sharps containers, alcohol wipes, urine sample cups, etc.).
The vehicle also includes a full-sized restroom for collecting urine samples. A propane unit provides hot water for handwashing and clean-up activities. The vehicle has a separate room that has been retrofitted as an examination room, equipped with an examination table for the medical doctor to conduct physical assessments of research subjects.
The vehicle has been inspected by an off-site professional and the UTMB Fleet Services Division to ensure compliance with all state and federal laws. It is fully ensured by the University of Texas System. The MCRU will provide facilities, equipment, and staff resources to support a variety of clinical studies at research sites across the UTMB facilities and in community settings. Through a single point of contact, investigators may request use of these facilities, equipment, and staff resources to support their research.
SCI Cafés (Science and Communities Interact)
SCI Cafés are informal discussions where researchers and community members engage on topics such as military exposures, veterans’ health, environmental health policy, and disaster response. These sessions foster dialogue and ensure that community perspectives shape research priorities.
Community Health Needs Assessments
The CEC conducts assessments to identify health needs, gaps in services, and barriers to care. These efforts provide actionable data that guide research, outreach, and public health strategies.
Training Initiatives
The CEC supports community-based participatory research and training programs that strengthen collaboration between researchers and communities, ensuring studies are grounded in real-world needs.
Impact
Through these integrated community engagement and translational science activities, the CEC strengthens connections between research and community needs. By combining dissemination, dialogue, and partnership, the CEC ensures that GC-CPEH research remains responsive, inclusive, and positioned to improve environmental health outcomes.
OUR INSTITUTIONS
One Baylor Plaza, MS 229, Houston, TX 77030
Email: gc-cpeh@bcm.edu
Citation for Center Support
“Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences under Award Number P30ES030285. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.”
