Tara Lutz

Tara Lutz serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and Training Director at the UConn Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (CT UCEDD), where she coordinates the Certificate of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies in Public Health and co-directs medical student clinical care courses.

Her academic credentials include:

• Undergraduate degree from College of the Holy Cross
• MPH and PhD in Public Health from University of Connecticut (mentored by CT UCEDD Director Mary Beth Bruder)
• Completion of Connecticut LEND program

Research focuses on disability-public health intersections, health equity frameworks, and curriculum development addressing systemic access barriers:

• Disability-inclusive public health programming
• Health promotion for marginalized communities
• Systems-level inclusivity in healthcare training

Professional recognition includes:

• Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)

She maintains leadership roles in state/national professional organizations and integrates personal connections to disability communities into her work on equitable healthcare education and policy.