Ruth Nwatu
Chicago
Summary
Strengthen maternal and child health outcomes by applying data-informed evaluation, outreach, and collaborative program development to support equitable, community-centered public health services.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Graduate Intern
Health & Medicine Policy Research Group
Chicago
10.2024 - 05.2025
- Conducted mixed-methods program evaluation using focus groups, one-on-one interviews, and an online survey to identify barriers affecting target populations, informing program planning and enhancing service delivery.
- Reviewed literature and evaluated freestanding birth center closure trends to identify barriers to long-term sustainability and access to services; contributed to a grant-funded report informing maternal and child health program planning.
- Coordinated administrative tasks for Schweitzer Fellowship Program, facilitating communication between fellows and staff to support effective program implementation.
Community Engagement Coordinator
North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services
Chicago
10.2023 - 05.2024
- Researched national trends in doula service coverage, presenting findings to stakeholders to shape program goals and enhance maternal and child health policy.
- Formulated a culturally responsive youth health literacy assessment to support education, outreach, and prevention messaging for target populations.
- Supported strategic planning for health disparities dashboard by developing implementation steps and coordinating stakeholder input, driving collaborative efforts.
- Facilitated statewide Lunch and Learn webinars, enhancing public health education and fostering cross-sector collaboration.
Public Health Associate
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Bismarck
10.2021 - 10.2023
- Developed and implemented statewide postpartum depression screening training for healthcare providers, supporting adoption of evidence-based practice into the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) plan.
- Reviewed maternal health grant applications to assess alignment with program goals, target populations, and evidence-based practices.
- Led statewide health equity webinars for 80–95 staff and external stakeholders to support public health education and outreach.
- Directed a youth health literacy task force overseeing planning, development, and evaluation of assessment tools.
- Analyzed youth health behavior trends using advanced data methods to inform program development and intervention design.
Education
Master of Public Health - Health Policy and Management
University of California, Berkeley (Online)
04-2026
Bachelor of Arts - Public Health and Neuroscience
Augustana College
Rock Island, ILSkills
- Program Development & Outreach
- Needs Assessment
- Program Evaluation
- Public Health Communication
- Research methods
- Data Analysis & Policy Interpretation
- Project Coordination
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- Teams
- Zoom
- Formstack
- Qualtrics
Certification
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certification-Cornell University
Contact Tracing- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Timeline
Graduate Intern
Health & Medicine Policy Research Group
10.2024 - 05.2025
Community Engagement Coordinator
North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services
10.2023 - 05.2024
Public Health Associate
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
10.2021 - 10.2023
Master of Public Health - Health Policy and Management
University of California, Berkeley (Online)
Bachelor of Arts - Public Health and Neuroscience
Augustana College