Meet the REACH Team

Andrea Murray

Project Manager

• Prior to working at Penn State College of Medicine I had the privilege of working for the Pennsylvania Women, Infants and Children program as a Public Health Nutritionist and Certified Lactation Councilor. Currently, I also serve as the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute. As the Community Engagement Coordinator, my role is to help facilitate community participation in all stages of research, identify key research opportunities and support the development of useful research tools. I foster strong relationships for research collaboration between community health providers, policymakers and academic researchers to improve research-based practice and stimulate practice-based research.
• As the Project Manager of the REACH I create collaborative partnerships focused on improving health outcomes at a community level in Lebanon and Reading, Pennsylvania. By building a project infrastructure and workflow with the help of community members and community organizations, locally tailored practice- and evidence-based strategies related to nutrition, physical activity, and community-clinical linkages are tailored to reflect the needs of these specific communities.

Email: amurray3@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
 

Diana Rodriguez
Berks County
Community Health Worker

Lisa Weaver

Berks County Project Coordinator

• A life-long learner, I bring my background in economic and community development and passion for social entrepreneurship to the Team. Prior to my current role, I served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at Penn State, worked in the microfinance industry, and served with MAP International, a health and development organization, in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
• In my joint position between Penn State Berks and Penn State Health St. Joseph, I support student and community social enterprise start-ups, manage a Veggie Rx program and corresponding Farm Stand, and facilitate a variety of additional social determinants of health programming in downtown Reading. Happy to connect and explore partnerships with any individuals or organizations who align with our REACH project mission!

Tahj Morales
REACH Project Intern
Berks County Team

• I am a senior at Penn State Berks majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and minoring in Business. I am engaged in connecting with the community through several different on and off-campus roles, now lucky to be interning with Penn State Health St. Joseph and working on some of their community health initiatives, in collaboration with the REACH Project. Although most of my academic research experience stems from working in the Biochemistry lab, I am excited to utilize lessons I was taught about in class regarding data evaluation and forming research studies and questions towards community health work. I am confident this experience will help to further inform my graduate pursuits in public health and healthcare.
• I am thrilled to be a part of the Penn State Health St. Joseph and REACH teams. Having grown up in Reading, I have a very strong connection and appreciation of the city and the local community. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to projects that will help identify and reduce health disparities, as well as improve access to different health resources, in the Latino population.

Contact the Berks County REACH Team

Diana Rodriguez

Andrea Murray