Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement (CHECE)

The purpose of the Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement (CHECE) is to build upon proven effective community engagement strategies developed by Rutgers University–Newark's Office of University-Community Partnerships (OUCP) and the scholarship and knowledge-based services that are the hallmarks of the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA).

The center's mission is to support public, nonprofit, and private sector entities to effectively engage underrepresented urban constituencies in health research, scholarship, policy and decision-making, service delivery, community engagement, and assessment. 

The Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement (CHECE):
  • Facilitates the integration of transdisciplinary research as a strategy for addressing health equity via sustainable community partnerships that advance the anchor mission of Rutgers University–Newark.
  • Advances RU-N’s anchor mission to form collaborations with partners from across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and determines how to work together on projects, create educational systems, and trainings to support community needs and interests.
  • Promotes community engagement (CE) research and teaching; scholarship and public information/education; experiential learning and training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students interested in health policy; and sustains and develops key OUCP CE partnerships.
Center Activities
  • NJ Alliance CTS/NJHEROES TOO-Home-based COVID Testing
  • Start Healthy-Stay Healthy Early Childhood Nutrition Education
  • The Advocates for Health and Wellness Initiative: RU Global Health Institute
  • The Engaging Faith-based Leaders Certificate & Partnership Initiative (ELCaPI)
  • The Faith-Based Organization Grant Training & Technical Assistance Program
  • The NJ Department of Health, Office of Minority and Multicultural Health Equity 2020 Forum
  • West Ward Community Coalition 
Center Partnerships
  • Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies
  • Institute for Health, Health Care Policy & Aging Research
  • New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health
  • Partnership West Inc. Business District
  • Partnerships for Grant Development and Implementation Consultation
  • Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
  • RU Institute for Global Health
  • West Ward Community Coalition Steering Committee
Leadership

Director
Diane Hill, PhD
dianeh@newark.rutgers.edu
Assistant Chancellor, University-Community Partnerships, Office of the Chancellor
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, School of Public Affairs and Administration
Rutgers University–Newark

Co-Director
Charles E. Menifield, PhD
charles.menifield@rutgers.edu
University Professor, School of Public Affairs and Administration
Rutgers University–Newark