My current interests are researching the governance of local departments of public health departments, for example, through local board of health. I am also interested on improving governance to improve relationships among public health, local government and the communities they serve. I also research government policies and laws that create healthier communities, focusing on the 'build environment' of communities and designing communities to make "the healthy choice the easy choice". I focus especially on the political process of making the case for and adopting such policies. I have also developed a youth civic education through public health policy program "Engaging Youth for Positive Change" that focuses on youth development and growing citizenship in the local community in which youth live through the experience of adopting a local ordinance to improve community health.Early career interests included the politics of innovation diffusion among states, an area that I still have great interest, although less research involvement.Specialties: Research and development, grant writing, advocacy, qualitative analysis, community organizing, writing, and influencing government decision-makers.