Community-Based Research & Evaluation
We work with organizations and communities to develop initiatives that seek to understand the implementation, outcomes and impact of public community health programs.
Community Capacity Building
We believe that community-identified solutions are the best solutions and we work with communities to understand and tailor interventions to meet local community health needs.
Systems Science
Systems science examines feedback loops, emergent properties, and complexity, among other things, which allow scientists to understand and document complex interactions that result in health behavior or health problems.
Community Health Team
Whitney R. Garney, PhD, MPH
Principal InvestigatorWhitney is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University and the Principal Investigator of the CHESS Lab.
Kristen Garcia, MPH
Kristen is a Senior Research Associate in the CHESS lab and leads community capacity building and evaluation efforts for multiple projects.
Sonya Panjwani, MPH
Sonya is a Research Associate in the CHESS Lab where she serves as an evaluator for public health programs. Her areas of interest include global health and system science.
Shelby Lautner, MS
Shelby is a Graduate Research Assistant in the CHESS Lab and PhD Candidate in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University.
Kobi Ajayi
Graduate Research AssistantKobi is a Graduate Research Assistant in the CHESS Lab and a PhD student in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University.
Mandy Spadine
Graduate Research AssistantMandy is a Graduate Research Assistant in the CHESS Lab and a PhD student in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University.
Chris Schwen
Graduate Research AssistantChris is a Graduate Research Assistant in the CHESS Lab and currently pursuing his master’s degree in Health Education at Texas A&M University.
Mentors and Collaborators
Alton Burton
Alton is the Community Outreach Coordinator for The Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse in Bryan, Texas. Alton has worked with youth for over 10 years through education, mentoring and one on one counseling.
Mark Benden, PhD
Mark received his BS in BIEN, MS in IE and PhD from Texas A&M and is a Certified Professional Ergonomist (#706). His career includes experience as an officer in the United States Army Reserve, Rehabilitation Engineer, and Ergonomics Consultant.
Carly E. McCord, PhD
Carly is a licensed psychologist and the Director of TeleBehavioral Care at the Texas A&M Health Science Center. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Educational Psychology.
Kelly Wilson, PhD, MCHES
Kelly is a Professor and Division Chair in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University. She has considerable experience managing school and community-based research and practice related projects .
Kenneth McLeroy, PhD
Kenneth has considerable experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of community interventions.
Kristie Primm, PhD, MPH
Kristie is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Daenuka Muraleetharan, PhD, MS
Daenuka is a Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
Yan Li, PhD
Dr. Li is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Population Health Science and Policy, and Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Megan S. Patterson, PhD, MPH
Megan S. Patterson, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University.
Leigh E. Szucs, PhD, CHES
Leigh Szucs, Ph.D., CHES is a Health Scientist in the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) at the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Monica Wendel, DrPH, MA
Monica Wendel is the Chair and Professor in the Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences Department at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences.
Meredith Williamson, PhD
Meredith Williamson, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and clinical assistant professor for the Department of Primary Care Medicine and Population Health within the College of Medicine at the Texas A&M Health Science Center.
Contact Us
chesslab@tamu.edu
2929 Research Parkway College Station, TX 77843