Jennifer Medearis Costello

Jennifer Medearis Costello, MS, is an Adjunct Professor at the Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, where she teaches SPHG 701: Leading from the Inside Out in both residential and online (MPH@UNC) formats. She concurrently serves as the founder of Connexus Strategic Solutions, a consulting agency focused on cross-sector partnerships for social purpose organizations. With over 20 years of experience spanning federal and local public health, healthcare, and human services, her leadership includes initiatives targeting marginalized populations and systemic inequities.

Education:

• Master of Science in Maternal and Child Health from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Research Focus: Her interdisciplinary work integrates public health, healthcare delivery, and human services, with emphasis on maternal-child health outcomes, health equity, and collaborative interventions to address disparities. Current projects target structural inequities in birth outcomes via multi-agency alignment.

Awards:

• Presidential Management Fellowship (U.S. Department of Education)

Professional Leadership:

• Operational Leader for EMBRACe (Chatham County) — coordinating health, social services, and hospital systems to reduce birth inequities.
• Former Director of Strategy & Planning at Piedmont Health, developing programs for underserved communities.
• Ex-consultant for federal Head Start programs (The Lewin Group) and emergency response lead for school districts post-9/11.