Tonya Roberson

Governor State University

https://www.govst.edu/Site_Navigation/Contact/Directory/troberson4/

Biographical Abstracts

Tonya S. Roberson is a community psychologist currently working as a university lecturer and director of Community Engagement, Program Development, and Academic Support in the College of Health and Human Services at Governors State University south of Chicago, Illinois. She is a public health expert with vast knowledge in clinical research, culturally tailoring initiatives, community engagement, practice, survey design, extensive research recruitment, independent consulting, and evaluation. This experience is backed by 25 years of clinical nutrition/food service systems management experience, which was acquired in large academic medical centers, health care organizations, and community-based settings. She has a particular expertise in methods to address health disparities and inequities, health promotion theories, and strategies to assess a holistic approach to health which considers the whole person in the urban centers. Dr. Roberson is well-connected and trusted in the Chicagoland communities and many other large cities and is committed to giving generously of her time and talents through her community organizing efforts and outreach work to educate, empower, and inspire individuals to be their health advocates.

Through her decades of community relationship building, she was able to broker a collaboration between the Illinois Department of Public Health, a state representative, and other community stakeholders that resulted in legislation being passed and a $1.1 million appropriation sustained to develop a 12-month stroke education, prevention, and awareness campaign to impact the disproportionate rates of stroke in underrepresented communities, improve community health, and impact health and racial disparities.

Areas of Expertise

• Substance use disorders
• Environmental justice
• Health education and disease prevention
• Clinical research development
• Dementia caregiver involvement