Dr. Christina R. Welter (she/her) is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Health Policy and Administration Division at the University of Illinois Chicago, School of Public Health (UIC SPH) where she also serves as the Director of the Doctor in Public Health Leadership Program and the Associate Director of the Policy, Practice, and Prevention Research Center. Dr. Welter is a pracademic with decades of experience leading or evaluating health justice policy and systems change. She deeply values building long-standing partnerships, elevating shared leadership to sustain equity and impact. 

Dr. Welter co-leads multiple transformational practice and applied research projects including but not limited to the Learning Agenda for Systems Change (www.publichealthlearningagenda.org) as well as a near decade-long initiative with health department and worker rights and safety partners to facilitate healthy and just work. Dr. Welter is also the co-editor and co-author to Leading Systems Change in Public Health: A Field Guide for Practitioners and two book chapters in Building Strategic Skills for Better Health. She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Health in Oak Park, Illinois; the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH) representative to the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Advisory Council; and an at-large NALBOH board member.  Dr. Welter also serves as a member of Public Health for Community Power Coalition with Human Impact Partners.

Prior to coming to UIC, Dr. Welter served as the Deputy Director at the Cook County Department of Public Health where she catalyzed the establishment of several ongoing and award-winning leadership collaboratives focused on policy, systems, and environmental change equity-initiatives. She previously served on several national initiatives including Project Public Health Ready, PHAB’s first standard and measures workgroup, the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships 2.0 Steering Committee, and as a technical assistance provider with the National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center. Dr. Welter received a Doctorate in Public Health Leadership from UIC SPH and master’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan in Health Education and Health Behavior.

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