Melissa Baez is the project manager for the TRIUMPH program in the Center for Public Health Systems. She is a public health professional with extensive experience in governmental public health and health informatics. Her professional interests also include public health policy, infection prevention, and antibiotic stewardship. Melissa holds a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) specializing in Public Health Administration and Policy, with advanced coursework in health informatics.

Nichole Fusilier is a researcher in the Center for Public Health Systems with experience in policy and data analysis through their previous work in state government for the State of Florida. Their expertise includes evaluating community mental health programs, analyzing the impact of healthcare policies, and conducting research to support initiatives aimed at improving community health outcomes. They hold a master’s degree in Biostatistics from Florida State University, a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Florida A&M University, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Louisiana State University. At the foundation of all their work, Nichole is committed to advancing the well-being of individuals and their communities and reducing health disparities through research and policy advocacy.

Dr. Kirkland is a researcher for the Center for Public Health Systems. She is a mixed methodologist and is experienced in public health research including workforce development, social determinants of health, health equity, physical activity, and community health workers. She holds a PhD in public health and graduate qualitative research certificate from Kent State University. Dr. Kirkland also holds a BS in exercise science, an MPH, and CHW certification.

Feather LaRoche focuses his attention on the underlying disparities and imbalances that affect Native American communities. He holds a Master’s of Tribal Administration and Governance from University of Minnesota – Duluth and has been working with the School of Public Health since this past June (2022) to bring awareness to the Public Health Administration and Policy MPH to Native American professionals and students. Mr. LaRoche is an enrolled member of the Kul Wicasa Oyate Tribe from Lower Brule, South Dakota.

Gabriela Lazalde is a researcher with the Center for Public Health Systems at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Prior to joining CPHS, she worked at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, and on a variety of quantitative research projects with a particular interest in life course approaches to health equity. She holds a PhD in Community Health Sciences from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and an MPH from the University of Minnesota’s Public Health Administration and Policy Program.

Sezen Ozcan Onal is a researcher at the Center for Public Health Systems. She is interested in applying a modern econometric toolkit to address policy-relevant questions in public health research. Dr. O. Onal holds a doctoral degree in Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Dr. Orr is a researcher with the Center for Public Health Systems at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and is experienced in policy analysis, mixed-methods research, and systems design & analysis. He holds a BS in chemical and biological engineering and an MPH with an emphasis in infectious diseases and zoonoses from Kansas State University, and a PhD in systems engineering from Colorado State University. He has ‘pracademic’ interests in public health services frameworks (e.g., Foundational Public Health Services), collaborative service delivery (i.e., cross-jurisdictional sharing or cross-sectoral collaboration), public health finance and workforce issues, and other transformation and innovation initiatives for public health systems.

Dr. Stabler is a researcher with the UMN Center for Public Health Systems and has experience in program evaluation, policy analysis, and mixed methods research. Dr. Stabler’s research interests include multi-sectoral collaboration, particularly between public health and healthcare stakeholders, as well as chronic disease prevention and management. He holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota’s Health Services Research, Policy, & Administration program with a focus on Health Policy, and an MPH from the University of Michigan.

Ms. Trachet is an analyst and grant administrator in the SPH Division of Health Policy and Management. She has been the financial manager for the Center since its inception. While not involved in the PH Workforce science, she finds the science very interesting from an economic lens. Ms. Trachet has over 25 years of experience overseeing large-scale, complex grants, and contracts. She has implemented several new system processes across the University and provides training courses on reporting to mid- and upper-level management administrators. Prior to HPM, she was in Central Administration for 15 years.

Nikki Weiss is a biocultural anthropologist specializing in mixed methods research. She completed her undergraduate education in biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and she earned her master’s and doctorate in anthropology from Ohio State University. Before arriving at CPHS, Nikki worked for the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health – Great Lakes Hub, as well as for the CDC Foundation. Her research interests include health equity and making health care accessible and attainable for all.