Focus on Health Equity Drives Leading UC Psychology Researcher

Ohio native and University of Cincinnati Psychology Associate Professor Farrah Jacquez understands that healthcare’s impact often takes shape outside of hospitals and doctors’ offices. Where people live and what they know about their healthcare choices and opportunities can make dramatic differences in physical and emotional health, according to Jacquez, who is also a licensed clinical psychologist. 

She has spent years working alongside students, fellow researchers and, importantly, community members to determine how to make lasting improvements in health outcomes in neighborhoods. Her innovative approaches have garnered recognition, and funding, both inside and outside of the University of Cincinnati. 

Since beginning her career at UC in 2008, Jacquez has secured more than a quarter of a million dollars in grant funding for her community research. In 2013, she received the national Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early Career Faculty for her research focused on health disparities in underserved communities. 

In 2016, she was named one of the Governor’s Distinguished Hispanic Ohioans in honor of her achievements as a community-engaged researcher and role model. She also joined an innovative new program led by the University of Minnesota with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as one of a select group of national Interdisciplinary Research Leaders.

Jacquez explained her journey to her current research path and the impact it has had on her teaching and career. (Answers have been edited for clarity.)

Q: When did you first become interested in studying health disparities and why?

A: During my graduate training, I became really invested in working outside of the hospital and university and in the community where people live and work. Working with people in the real world, it became abundantly clear that there are a million factors outside a person’s body that influence their health. But not every person has the same access to the optimal environment for wellness. I have always felt the injustice in that inequality. 

Q: What do you think your UC students learn when they work with community members to conduct research rather than conduct research that is not community-based and participatory?

A: I think they learn the reason why research is important, which helps provide intrinsic motivation to learn. For example, learning how to do a paired sample t-test in a statistics class does not always stick with students long-term. But when my capstone students worked with kids in YMCA afterschool programs for a year to help them improve their optimistic thinking, we used a paired sample t-test to find out whether the YMCA kids actually improved their optimistic thinking between September and May. I found that my capstone students were really excited to run those analyses because they were really invested in finding out if their work had paid off. They really wanted to help those YMCA kids, so they really valued the ability to use statistics to find out if they were successful.

Q: What kind of feedback do you get from students who take part in your CBPR-based courses?

A: It’s been great. Students seem to love learning out in the community. Read one student’s reflection on a community-based partnership course with Jacquez here.

Q: What has been the most surprising thing you've learned as you have continued to work with local communities in research projects?

A: I have been surprised by how ready community organizations and agencies are to partner with us researchers. Although they might not use the same language we do, community members are really savvy about the need to collect and analyze data to show success. 

I have also been surprised by how much opportunity there is to collaborate in really meaningful ways. Cincinnati is a city where there is really an opportunity to engage and make a difference. If you show up and want to collaborate to make a difference, people tend to be really welcoming.

Q: What do you see as the next steps for this kind of work? What outcomes would mean success to you?

A: I think that higher education in general and UC especially are beginning to recognize that community-engaged research and teaching are vital to the success of colleges and universities. I would like to see community-engaged scholarship more universally recognized in Retention-Promotion-Tenure (job advancement) criteria across campus so more faculty could envision a career that includes collaboration with community partners.

Q: Anything else people should know about you or your work -- any personal connection that drives you or keeps you inspired?

A: I am really fortunate to work with amazing collaborators in the form of students, other faculty and community partners. There are a lot of people in our community who care deeply about health equity, and I have been able to form personal and professional relationships with many of them. The day-to-day rewards of working with cool people keeps me inspired.