Jenna Gaarde, MPH
Biography
Jenna Gaarde is from the Central Valley of California, and has spent most of her adult life in the Bay Area. Jenna is a Lecturer for OOMPH’s Anti-Racism and Racial Justice course. Additionally, she is a Program Director at The Praxis Project, a national nonprofit organization that convenes and collaborates with community organizers to advance health, equity and racial justice. She directs Praxis’ training, capacity-building, and technical assistance activities to center authentic community collaboration in public health and allied fields. Prior to joining The Praxis Project, she was the Senior Planner for Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health at San Francisco Department of Public Health. In this role, she was deeply engaged in anti-racism and racial equity efforts within local government.
Jenna has a strong foundation in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of activities that address the social determinants of health. She strives to integrate a social justice lens throughout her professional and personal life, and is on a continuous journey to recognize and positively leverage her own racial privilege. She dreams that our collective efforts from the past and present will create a transformed future of justice and liberation. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Master of Public Health from UC Berkeley. She aspires to have a green thumb, and loves to run (slowly), bike, and craft when she isn’t busy snuggling with her son, Julian.
Research Interests
- Racial justice in public health
- Structural interventions in public health
Education
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MPH – Health & Social Behavior
University of California, Berkeley -
BA – Psychology
University of California, Berkeley
Publications
- View Selected Publications
Courses Taught
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- PH 215
- Anti-Racism and Racial Justice Praxis