Thistle I Elias

My research interests are largely in the areas of community-engaged evaluation and research, especially using qualitative and mixed methods, and health equity for populations by income, gender, race/ethnicity, sexuality, rurality and dis/ability. The public health core value of social justice drew me to community and behavioral health in the first place and I firmly believe that we have great opportunities within public health to make positive change. I am passionate about teaching and believe that building connections between students, faculty and our communities should benefit all.

I conduct evaluative research with the Evaluation Institute at Public Health, direct the Certificate for Health Program Evaluation and advise students through evaluation and other practica, in an effort to ensure quality learning in organizational settings. I sit on the Committee for the Certificate in Health Equity and am a faculty affiliate of the Center for Health Equity. I have over a decade of evaluation experience with both community-based organizations and state-wide initiatives, in particular those focusing on vulnerable populations. I am a proponent of using mixed methods in order to get more complex and complete understanding and especially enjoy using qualitative methods in community-engaged work in order to capture the perspectives of people which might otherwise be missed.

I have co-directed Bridging the Gaps-Pittsburgh for two decades. This multi-disciplinary, community health internship program is in collaboration with the School of Medicine and aims to train health professional students while providing critical support to organizations that work with vulnerable populations.