Ronica Rooks

Ronica Rooks is a Professor in the Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She also serves as the College’s Director of Online Education. Her academic journey includes a Ph.D. in sociology (University of Maryland, 1999), postdoctoral work in health disparities (University of Michigan) and geriatric epidemiology (National Institute on Aging).

• Ph.D., Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park, 1999
• M.A., Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park, 1995
• B.A., Sociology/Anthropology and Economics, St. Mary’s College, MD, 1992

Her research focuses on social-ecological drivers of racial and ethnic disparities in chronic conditions, particularly examining how productive activities (work/volunteering) affect dementia risk, mental distress linked to employment changes in older adults with cognitive impairment, and gentrification’s impact on elderly well-being. She leads studies within the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study (Health ABC) and the Jackson Heart Study.

Rooks’ recent publications span gerontology, public health, and social epidemiology, emphasizing neighborhood environments, health literacy, and intersectional disparities. Key awards include Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and leadership roles in the Colorado Commission on Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease initiatives.

• Co-authored with advisees Arlesia Mathis, Cassandra Ford, and Brooke Dorsey Holliman
• Contributions to education via community-engaged pedagogy and curriculum on social determinants of health
• Active in translating research to policy through PACT and Colorado public health coalitions