Wrenetha A. Julion, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN

Project Co-Director

Professor & Associate Dean
Department of Women, Children and Family Nursing
Rush University College of Nursing
Phone: (312) 942-6272
Email: Wrenetha_A_Julion@rush.edu

Paul Florsheim, PhD

Project Co-Director

Professor of Public Health
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Phone: 414-227-4490
Email: paulf@uwm.edu

Kaija L. Zusevics, PhD, MPH, CHES

Research Project Evaluator

Center for Urban Population Health
Associate Researcher
Email: kaija@uwm.edu

Kaija’s work includes conducting community-engaged research and evaluation projects in southeastern Wisconsin, participating in coalitions and community initiatives to improve health outcomes among diverse populations, and teaching public health students. Kaija has several areas of focus, including improving maternal and child health, gun violence prevention, and implementation science in educational contexts. Kaija uses a community engagement approach as she works with community, non-profit, and governmental agencies to understand and seek to solve complex social and health challenges.  Kaija has a young daughter with her husband Josh. They enjoy long walks, lots of reading, and playing with their dog and three cats.

Jasmine Maldonado, MPH

Project Manager

Email: jasmine_maldonado@rush.edu

Jasmine is from Vernon Hills and has lived in Illinois her whole life.  She moved to Chicago when she attended the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Jasmine received her Bachelors in Sociology and minored in Latin American and Latino Studies. She graduated from UIC in 2017 and then worked at Erie Family Health Center-Evanston as an AmeriCorps Health Educator/Women’s Health Promoter. She recently received her Masters of Public Health with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health from UIC. Jasmine is passionate about working with pregnant patients and working with minority communities.

In her free time, Jasmine enjoys traveling and learning about the places she visits. She likes listening to music and watching movies. She also enjoys playing tennis and likes being outdoors.

Shontasia Henderson

Research Project Coordinator

Email: Shontasia_z_henderson@rush.edu

Shontasia is grew up on the west side of Chicago and has spent majority of her life in Illinois. Prior to joining the FIPC team she received her Bachelors in psychology with a concentration in developmental from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). While there she worked closely with adolescents as a research assistant to understand how parent practices affect children’s motivation. During her time at UIUC, she also worked as a legal assistant to help serve underserved communities. She‘s hoping to continue combining her love of helping adolescent and minority populations at FIPC. However, when she is not working she is catching the next flight out of town to enjoy new foods and cultures or rollerblading.

Daniel Garcia

Researcher I

Email: garci464@uwm.edu

Daniel grew up in the Southwest side of Chicago and has spent his entire life in the city. Daniel attended the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) where he received a Bachelor of Science degree with a Major in Biological Sciences (Molecular, Cellular, and Organismal Biology Concentration). During his time at UIC, Daniel spent time working at the UIC College of Pharmacy as well as at the UIC Wellness Center.

Cailin Arechiga

Behavioral Health Counselor

Email: cailin_arechiga@rush.edu

Cailin is a behavioral health counselor for the Father Inclusive Prenatal Care (FIPC) program at Rush University. She began her academic career at the University of Pennsylvania, where she received her BA in Communication and minor in Legal Studies. Soon after receiving a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease in 2016, she decided to pursue her master’s in public health. A graduate from the Yale School of Public Health, Cailin’s research interests include understanding how exposure to adversity in childhood and adolescence influence the onset of chronic disease later in life. In the future, she hopes to help children in Hispanic communities who are affected by anxiety and trauma.