An Excellence in Civic & Community-Engaged Partnerships Awardee

Thursday, August 20th at 1:00 PM ET (12:00 PM CT / 11:00 AM MT / 10:00 AM PT)

Based at the College of Health and Human Services at Southern Connecticut State University in partnership with the Yale School of Public Health and the New Haven community, the Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE) is a community-engaged center dedicated to advancing health equity in New Haven, Connecticut. CARE works to improve health among residents most affected by inequities – particularly Black and Brown communities and low-income populations.

CARE carries out its mission through two major initiatives. The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, implements policy, systems, and environmental changes that promote chronic disease prevention and address issues like food insecurity, healthy food access, breastfeeding, and active transportation. The CARE Health Leadership Programs train residents to become leaders and partners in shaping local health initiatives and research. With nearly two decades of trusted collaboration, CARE continues to build sustainable, community-driven solutions that move New Haven closer to health equity for all.

Ayeisha C. Cole

Ayeisha C. Cole serves as the Director of Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE), within the College of Health and Human Services at Southern Connecticut State University. A native of Memphis, TN, she is immersing herself at SCSU and in the New Haven landscape. Ayeisha's career in public health spans over a decade and has been marked by a strong focus on research and community engagement. Ms. Cole served as the Program Director for the Partnership to End AIDS Status. She later transitioned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as the Lead Outreach Coordinator, specializing in community outreach and research. Her journey led her to Connecticut, where she served as the Project Manager for Perception Programs at the University of Connecticut. Ayeisha has extensive experience in community mobilization, advocacy, program development, and establishing community boards and coalitions. In her current role, Ms. Cole oversees the CDC-funded program REACH, which emphasizes chronic disease prevention by focusing on nutrition, physical activity, and breastfeeding.

Alycia Santilli

Alycia Santilli, MSW, is the Senior Director of Community Initiatives at the Southern Connecticut State
University College of Health and Human Services, overseeing a variety of initiatives, including the
Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE), for which she was a founding staff member
in 2007. In 2016 CARE merged with SCSU, where she transitioned to Director, serving until 2024. Under
Alycia’s leadership, CARE has received funding and implemented activities through the CDC Racial and
Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program, focused on reducing chronic disease
inequities among Black and Latine residents through policy- and systems-level interventions. Alycia has
also led the development of a set of health leadership programs intended to build a network of
Connecticut residents who are engaged in community-based health equity interventions and research. At
the College-level, Alycia is now building out trainings on community-engaged approaches to research
and policy and systems change. Alycia has served as principal investigator on more than 20 grants and
contracts totaling more than $13M for projects with the CDC, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Institute, CT Department of Public Health, the Yale Cancer Center, among others. Alycia received her
Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Community Organizing from the University of Connecticut.
Alycia is a Connecticut native and has lived and worked in New Haven since 2004.