Jen Cruz (she/her) is a Population Health Sciences PhD student in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She is passionate about the intersection of social epidemiology and social change — moving beyond the traditional framing of epidemiology and into action. Jen plans to work across disciplines to learn how we can best integrate epidemiological methods into community-based work and evidence-based policy development to address health inequities. Her research aims to amplify the strengths that already lie within communities and to hold those in positions of power accountable to dismantling harmful systems of oppression.
Jen was raised in Wapato, WA – a small, rural community that continues to inspire her academic work and organizing efforts. She received her BA in Psychology from Seattle University and her MPH in Global Health Epidemiology from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.