Michele Kelley

Email: makelley@uic.edu

Michele Kelley, Ph.D. is Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a social-behavioral public health scientist with an educational background in sociology and biology, public policy and social work (dual masters) and public health science (doctorate). She has a practice background in community mental health, and trauma and disaster services (Johns Hopkins Hospital), and governmental health planning and policy (Ohio Department of Health). A focus of her current research is around community food systems, using a food justice paradigm. She primarily utilizes qualitative and mixed methods engaging youth in action research (Y-PAR) to address health equity issues like food access in their neighborhoods; for the dual purpose of preventing and combating chronic diseases and attracting young, diverse local talent to UIC’s health profession colleges. She has published on youth collaborative inquiry methods in general and also on tobacco control, racism and gentrification (place attachment), and food access.

Selected Publications

  • Estrella, M., & Kelley, M. A. (2017). Exploring the Meanings of Place Attachment among Civically Engaged Puerto Rican Youth. Journal of Community Practice (Taylor and Francis), 25(Issue 3-4), 408-431. DOI: 10.1080/10705422.2017.1347844
  • Kelley, M. A., & Allen-Meares, P. (2016). People of Color in the United States: Contemporary Issues in Education, Work, Communities, Health, and Immigration. In (Eds.), Obesity Prevention among Black and Hispanic Adolescents: A Health Equity Issue. (pp. 244-251). Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood Publishing Group
  • Belone, L., Lucero, J. E., Duran, B., Tafoya, G., Baker, E. A., Chan, D. . . . Wallerstein, N. (2016). Community-Based Participatory Research Conceptual Model: Community Partner Consultation and Face Validity. Qualitative Health Research, 26(1), 117-135. DOI: 10.1177/1049732314557084
  • Navas-Nacher EL, E., Kelley, M. A., Birnbaum-Weitzman, O., Gonzalez, P., Ghiachello, A., Kaplan, R. C. . . . Daviglus, M. L. (2015). Association between exposure to household cigarette smoking behavior and cigarette smoking in Hispanic adults: Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Preventive Medicine, 77, 35-40. DOI: doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.04.011.
  • Bozlak, C. T., & Kelley, M. A. (2015). Chapter 3 in Participatory Action Research (Pocket Guide to Social Work Research Methods). In (Eds.), Participatory Action Research with Youth (pp. 67-90). : Oxford University Press

Education

  • Sc.D.; Doctor of Science in Public Health, Johns Hopkins University Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health
  • MA, Ohio State U Main Campus Public Policy and Admin
  • M.S.W., Ohio State U Main Campus Social Work
  • BA, Univ of Akron Main Campus Urban Sociology and Social Work