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 co-design, 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.

LET'S GET STARTED!

  • 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

  • COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONSULTANT

    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

    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

  • Select Presentations:

    “Sociological Approaches to Community-Led Design: A Case Study.” Accepted for presentation by American Sociological Association (ASA), 2026.

    “Sociological Approaches to Design Justice.” Accepted for presentation by Association of Black Sociologists (ABS), 2026.

    “From Hierarchy to Solidarity: Building a Democratic Design Practice.” Presented at: NOMA. 2024.

    “‘You know you are the rock’: Meanings of the strength mandate in the lives of chronically ill Black American women.” Presented at: AcademyHealth, Society for the Study of Social Problems, ABS. 2013.

    “‘A Forever Something’: Utilizing Photovoice and photo-elicitation to explore the meanings of chronic illness among religious Black American women.” Presented at: SSSP, ABS. 2013.

    Publications:

    Patient Perspectives on the Experience of Being Newly Diagnosed with HIV in the Emergency Department/ Urgent Care Clinic of a Public Hospital

    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

    Beyond Coping: Responses to Chronic Illness Among Religious Black American Women

    Dissertation, University of California, San Francisco, 2022