Rebecca Cheezum

Dr. Rebecca Cheezum serves as Chairperson of Public and Environmental Wellness and Associate Professor of Public Health at Oakland University's School of Health Sciences, dedicating her career to addressing health inequities through community-centered research with marginalized populations including communities of color, immigrants, and individuals experiencing homelessness.

Educational Background:

• PhD in Health Behavior and Health Education from University of Michigan
• MPH in Social Behavioral Sciences from Boston University
• BA in Psychology from Bates College

Research Focus: Employing community-based participatory research (CBPR) methodologies, Dr. Cheezum investigates how social and structural determinants shape health outcomes in urban settings like Detroit. Her work spans housing instability, food access, childhood asthma management, and caregiver stress, emphasizing co-creation of knowledge with communities to drive policy change and build sustainable advocacy capacity. This approach transforms traditional research power dynamics by centering community voices in all project phases.

Publication Trends: Analysis of her 2010-2019 publications reveals consistent innovation in participatory methods, particularly Photovoice techniques for capturing lived experiences of vulnerable groups. Key thematic threads include housing-health intersections among formerly homeless populations, culturally nuanced understandings of caregiver stress in low-income families, and strategies for inter-organizational policy advocacy affecting youth. Her Detroit-focused studies collectively advance frameworks for community-driven health equity solutions that address systemic barriers rather than individual behaviors.

Professional Engagement: Dr. Cheezum's leadership as department chair involves significant academic administration and curriculum development, while her Detroit-based projects and prior HIV prevention fieldwork across Boston, Maine, and the West Indies demonstrate deep community partnerships. Though specific grant details aren't documented, her participatory research model inherently involves mentoring students in real-world public health practice and community engagement.

Community Integration: Active in the American Public Health Association, she bridges academic scholarship with practical community experience from youth development and HIV prevention work. Her research philosophy treats community members as equal partners rather than subjects, creating pathways for policy change through Neighborhoods Working in Partnership-style collaborations that amplify marginalized voices in health decision-making processes.