Alumni Feature: Building Health Equity Through Indigenous-Led Research and Community Engagement

For Cassandra D. Querdibitty, public health has always been about people, relationships and creating systems that better serve communities.

After earning both her MPH in 2015 and PhD in 2021 from the Health Promotion Sciences program at the Hudson College of Public Health, Querdibitty has come full circle — now serving as an assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion Sciences, where she helps prepare future public health professionals to lead with purpose, equity and compassion.

What first drew Querdibitty to the program was a desire to better understand and address the root causes of health inequities impacting Indigenous communities.

“The degree offered a way to combine evidence-based strategies with community-centered approaches, which aligned with my passion for public health and social justice.”

That commitment to community-centered public health became a defining part of her experience at HCOPH. Through coursework in program planning and evaluation, health behavior theory and community engagement, Querdibitty learned how to design interventions that are not only effective, but culturally responsive and sustainable.

“The faculty encouraged critical thinking and challenged me to consider power dynamics, equity and sustainability in every step of the process,” she said.

One experience, in particular, left a lasting impression.

As part of a class assignment, Querdibitty and her classmates rode the city bus to better understand the social and environmental realities many community members face every day. They observed routes, spoke with passengers and learned firsthand about the pressures faced by public transportation workers and riders alike.

The experience became a powerful reminder that health is shaped far beyond clinical settings.

“That experience helped me better understand the day-to-day challenges that shape health and access in our communities.”

Today, Querdibitty’s work focuses on advancing Indigenous maternal health equity through community-engaged research and culturally grounded programming. She co-leads projects that center Indigenous mothers’ voices and incorporate trauma-informed, food-as-medicine approaches designed to promote wellness in ways that reflect community strengths and priorities.

She also serves as an advisor and subject matter expert on initiatives involving policy development, SNAP-Ed programming and environmental health efforts that support Indigenous communities.

“For me, advancing health equity means challenging systems of oppression while uplifting the resilience, expertise and leadership that already exist within our communities.”

As both an alumna and faculty member, Querdibitty says one of the greatest strengths of the Health Promotion Sciences program is its emphasis on relationships and meaningful community engagement.

“My biggest piece of advice is to invest in relationships,” she said. “The faculty don’t just teach; they mentor and support you. The program encourages you to step out of the classroom and work directly with communities in ways that are respectful and reciprocal.”

Those experiences, she says, became the foundation for both her professional direction and personal growth.

Now, as she mentors students walking the same halls where her own journey began, Querdibitty is helping shape a future public health workforce grounded in collaboration, cultural humility and a deep commitment to improving the health of communities across Oklahoma and beyond.