Community-driven research fuels public health journey
Gretta Rempel Fisher, MPH ’25
Health Behavior & Health Equity
Growing up Mennonite in Iowa City, Iowa, deeply influenced Gretta Rempel Fisher’s values and aspirations, emphasizing community, mutual aid and collective well-being.
These beliefs, which coincide with public health principles, have permeated her education and career choices.
At Goshen College, a Mennonite liberal arts school in Indiana, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Sustainability Studies, reinforcing the service-oriented traditions of Anabaptism.
While participating in lab research at Goshen, Rempel Fisher noticed a disconnect between scientific work and the communities it served.
“My educational experiences were very community-focused due to the school’s values, so the lack of this element in biological science led me to pivot toward public health,” Rempel Fisher said. “Unfortunately, Goshen didn’t have a public health program until later in my college years, so I focused on developing my scientific skills to apply them in a public health context after graduation. This pivot is why I decided to pursue a master’s degree in public health.”
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I wanted to attend Michigan because Health Behavior & Health Equity has a strong emphasis on community-based participatory research. This really aligns with my interest in community-driven work and having research integrated into the community rather than staying in academia.”
Pursuing a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior & Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Rempel Fisher’s roots continue to guide her focus on community-driven research and health equity.
Her upbringing laid the groundwork for her commitment to public health and reinforced her belief in integrating diverse perspectives and collaborative efforts to achieve common goals.
“I wanted to attend Michigan because Health Behavior & Health Equity has a strong emphasis on community-based participatory research,” she said. “This really aligns with my interest in community-driven work and having research integrated into the community rather than staying in academia.”
As a graduate student instructor for the MPH Core Curriculum, she witnessed the benefits of interdisciplinary work. It allows students to collaborate across departments, which she “finds valuable as collaboration typically yields better results than working in isolation.
“I value this integrated method at Michigan Public Health, especially because of my commitment to engaged, impactful work that is closely connected to those who benefit from the research.”
While Michigan Public Health’s ranking as a Top 5 public health school in the nation certainly piqued Rempel Fisher’s interest, it was her interactions with faculty during her visit to campus that solidified her decision to attend the school.
“It was very clear that there’s a lot of investment in the students, especially in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity,” she said. “The faculty attended the events and really wanted to interact with the incoming students.
“I think that with public health, to create effective programs, policies and solutions from a systems-level approach, you really have to consider all the other perspectives, and sometimes that requires taking classes in other departments as part of your training. The fact that this approach is encouraged here is more important to me than the rankings.”
In addition to community-driven research, she is particularly interested in exploring upstream mechanisms to advance health equity. Rempel Fisher has recently ventured into policy research, an area new to her but one she finds impactful.
“Many public health interventions are rooted in policy, which can either facilitate or create barriers for community engagement,” she said.
Through a policy lens, she has examined issues such as cumulative impacts, aiming to understand how policies influence public health dynamics.
Rempel Fisher’s dedication to community-driven research has led her to work on various projects that align with her goals.
At the University of Michigan School of Nursing, she manages a binational randomized control trial called the IDEA³ Project. This program aims to prevent sexual assault among undergraduate women, addressing core assumptions and equipping them with critical self-defense tools. As a site coordinator, Rempel Fisher manages survey distribution, organizes resources and oversees research tasks to ensure the trial’s Michigan site operates efficiently.
In summer 2024, she worked on a project with Amy Schulz, professor of Health Behavior & Health Equity, focused on community-driven research through the Community Action to Promote Healthy Environments (CA-PHE) initiative.
“And with that, I practiced engaging in community-driven research,” Rempel Fisher said. “The policy work I did actually stemmed from community interests, resulting in a mix of community-driven research and examining upstream mechanisms of intervention.”
Her commitment to community engagement also extends to her role as an intern with CA-PHE. In this role, Rempel Fisher was a member of a team that partners with community groups, working closely with the steering committee to direct research initiatives based on the community’s interests.
“This is where I saw community-based participatory research in action,” she said. “A strong group of community partners acts as the steering committee, directing all the work. The policy research I worked on stemmed from this internship. Community partners wanted to explore how policies on cumulative impacts influence community engagement in decision-making for industrial permits, which might increase pollution.
“I also worked on information dissemination about lead in Detroit with community partners. Public health institutions and groups often create fact sheets, but it’s different when you collaborate with community members to ensure the content is relevant. Without dialogue about how information will be used, those efforts can be less useful.”
Last summer, Rempel Fisher also worked with Michigan Medicine’s Community Benefit Office, focusing on the community health needs assessment implementation plan. Comparing public health within a healthcare system versus community interactions was enlightening, offering diverse experiences helped her explore where she fits in the public health field.
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It was very clear that there’s a lot of investment in the students, especially in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity. The faculty attended the events and really wanted to interact with the incoming students.”
Rempel Fisher’s interest in policy research has opened new doors and further emphasized the importance of upstream mechanisms in public health interventions. By examining how policies influence community engagement, her research addresses a critical component often overlooked. Her work with CA-PHE and Michigan Medicine’s Community Benefit Office gives her a well-rounded perspective on the potential and challenges of enacting meaningful public health policies within and outside healthcare systems.
As she nears the completion of her studies at Michigan Public Health, Rempel Fisher remains open to various opportunities that align with her passion for community-driven research. She seeks roles where she can employ systems-thinking and collaboration to implement impactful public health interventions.
Long-term, she envisions potentially pursuing a PhD if she identifies a specific research topic that captivates her interest.
In the meantime, Rempel Fisher said she plans to strengthen her skills and find a workplace willing to embrace interdisciplinary approaches and community engagement that share her values.
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