Jessica Owens-Young

Dr. Jessica Owens-Young serves as Professor in the Department of Public and Allied Health at Morgan State University's School of Community Health and Policy, where she advances health equity through research, teaching, and community partnerships focused on inclusive urban health innovation.

Her academic foundation includes:

• PhD in Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Certificate in Health Disparities and Health Inequality
• MS in Health Promotion Management, American University
• BA in Political Science, University of Maryland Baltimore County

Her research examines structural racism's impact on health outcomes through qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, investigating how policy interventions, technological solutions, and community-driven initiatives can mitigate disparities in hypertension, infant mortality, and workforce diversity. Current projects analyze telehealth adoption in WIC agencies and executive leadership DEI initiatives across public health systems.

Recent publications reveal consistent focus on racial/ethnic health disparities across urban-rural divides, particularly examining socioeconomic inequities in cardiovascular outcomes and organizational DEI implementation within public health institutions.

An award-winning educator, Dr. Owens-Young mentors emerging scholars from underrepresented backgrounds while teaching health policy, multicultural health, and equity courses. Her active grant portfolio includes Robert Wood Johnson Foundation leadership in national DEI evaluations and USDA-funded telehealth research, demonstrating strong community-academic partnerships with Baltimore organizations and national policymakers.