Hi, I’m Dr. Amina D. Massey
I specialize in strategic consulting for community-engaged research, programming, and project development. My research has utilized creative and participatory methodologies to address health equity through community advocacy, social policy, and public programs.
Drawing on my research in sociology and my extensive experience developing and implementing community-based initiatives, I support organizations to create effective programs that foster collaboration, empowerment, and social change. My expertise spans across public health, arts education, and organizational management, allowing me to provide tailored strategies that align with community needs and drive sustainable outcomes.
I have a proven track record of advising on community-based research, program development, and public policy campaigns, ensuring that each project integrates local knowledge, cultural responsiveness, and rigorous evidence-based practices. Whether partnering with academic institutions, non-profits, or local governments, I provide expert guidance to create inclusive systems and transformative experiences that connect communities, foster learning, and promote well-being.
My work leverages a deep understanding of organizational operations, creative methods, and community organizing principles to empower researchers and organizations to design initiatives that successfully engage diverse stakeholders and deliver measurable positive impact.
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Ph.D., Sociology of Health and Illness
University of California, San Francisco, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Dissertation: Beyond Coping: Responses to Chronic Illness Among Religious Black American Women
Research interests: Health advocacy and education, social determinants of health, racial health inequalities, depression, collective trauma, chronic illness, religion and spirituality, women’s health, LGBTQIA+ health, sociology of emotions
B.A., Ethnic Studies, Community Health
Brown University - with honors
Outstanding Honors Thesis Award for qualitative research on the role of cultural and religious belief in the experience of chronic illness among Black women in the U.S. and Brazil
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STRATEGIC CONSULTANT (Freelance)
New Orleans, LA | 2015 - present
DESIGN JUSTICE ORGANIZER
Colloqate Design | New Orleans, LA | 2024 - present
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS
Material Institute | New Orleans, LA | 2020 - 2022
SENIOR BUSINESS CONSULTANT
NOVACES, LLC | New Orleans, LA | 2018 - 2019
COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH SPECIALIST
PROGRAM MANAGER, LACaTS Community Scholars Program
Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education, Xavier University of Louisiana | New Orleans, LA | 2013 - 2017
RESEARCH ASSISTANT, Patient Engagemenr and Retention/Linkage Study
UCSF Positive Health Program, Ward 86, San Francisco General Hospital | San Francisco, CA | 2011 - 2013
POET MENTOR (Teaching Artist)
YouthSpeaks Literary Arts Organization | San Francisco, CA | 2009 - 2011
RESEARCH ASSISTANT, Health of Philadelphia Photo-Documentation Project (HOPPP)
University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics | Philadelphia, PA | 2006
RESEARCH ASSISTANT AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR, Transcultural Community Health Initiative (TCHI)
Brown University, Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity | Providence, RI | 2005 - 2006
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PLoS ONE 8(8):e74199 · Aug 26, 2013PLoS ONE 8(8):e74199 · Aug 26, 2013
"Taking a half day at a time": Patient perspectives and the HIV engagement in care continuum
AIDS Patient Care and STDs. 27(4):233-30 · Apr 1, 2013
Conference Paper, Nov 2013
Beyond Coping: Responses to Chronic Illness Among Religious Black American Women
Dissertation, UCSF 2022