Interests & Expertise

Kaija L. Zusevics, PhD, MPH, CHES is an Associate Researcher at the Center for Urban Population Health. In 2012, she received her PhD in Public and Community Health with a focus on Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and education as a determinant of health at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). Her doctoral research examined levels of hope and student engagement among urban students of color. Dr. Zusevics then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Program in Genomics and Ethics at MCW. During that time, her work centered on examining the ethical implications of genomics on issues of race and racism and the need for community engagement in this growing field of science.

Dr. Zusevics’ current research interests include ascertaining the use of CBPR in new areas of public health scientific inquiry and exploring education as a social determinant of health, particularly among children and youth. Her research philosophy stems from the CBPR and assets-based frameworks as she examines the intersection of education, community engagement, and health equity among unique populations using both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Dr. Zusevics has taught, presented, and published research related to health education, program evaluation, health policy and health disparities, racism, and CBPR. She received her Bachelors in Elementary Education and minor in Health Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Master’s in Public Health from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; and maintains the Certified Health Education Specialist credential.

Professional Memberships

• American Public Health Association
• American Evaluation Association
• Wisconsin Public Health Association

Honors & Awards

• Recipient: Outstanding Teaching Pin by Directors of Medical Student Courses at Medical College of Wisconsin, 2013
• Finalist: American Public Health Association’s Genomics Forum “The Future of Public Health Genomics” manuscript contest, 2013
• Recipient: Outstanding Teaching Pin by Directors of Medical Student Courses at Medical College of Wisconsin, 2012