profiles

PhD, Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD

Certificate in Health Disparities and Health Inequality 

MS, Health Promotion Management, American University, Washington, DC

BA, Political Science, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Catonsville, MD

Dr. Jessica Owens-Young is a distinguished educator, researcher, and consultant committed to advancing health equity and inclusive innovation. She is a Professor in the Department of Public and Allied Health at Morgan State University, where she leads qualitative and mixed methods research to generate actionable knowledge to drive equitable social change across communities, institutions, and systems.

At Morgan, Dr. Owens-Young’s research focuses on inclusive innovation for urban health, exploring how technologies, policies, and community-driven solutions can foster healthier, more equitable cities. She is currently an Interdisciplinary Research Leader with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, co-leading a national evaluation of a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiative for executive leaders and staff. Previously, she directed a USDA-funded study on telehealth adoption and lessons learned in local Women’s, Infant, and Children (WIC) agencies. Her scholarship, published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, addresses health equity, structural racism, and the sustainability of the public health workforce.

A passionate educator and mentor, Dr. Owens-Young is an award-winning teacher who designs and delivers engaging courses on health policy and politics, multicultural health, and health equity. She has a strong record of mentoring emerging scholars, particularly junior faculty and students from underrepresented backgrounds, to cultivate the next generation of equity-focused leaders. She regularly partners with community organizations, policymakers, and research teams, and she is a sought-after speaker, collaborator, and mentor who thrives at the intersection of research, practice, and policy.

Before joining Morgan State, Dr. Owens-Young was a tenured Associate Professor at American University and a Program Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, where she advanced initiatives in early academic success. She earned her PhD in Health Policy and Management from Johns Hopkins University, a MS in Health Promotion Management from American University, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Selected publications: 

Bell CN, Tavares CD, Owens-Young J. Multiple job holding, working hours, and hypertension by race/ethnicity and sex. PLOS-ONE. 2024. 19(5):e0300455.

Owens-Young JL, Leider JP, Bell CN. Public Health Workforce Perceptions about Organizational Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Results from PH WINS 2021. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. 2023; 29(S1), S98-S106. doi:10.1097/PHH.0000000000001633. 

Bell CN, Owens-Young JL, Thorpe, Jr. RJ. Self-employment, working hours, and hypertension by race/ethnicity in the U.S. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 2022; 1-11. 

Crifasi CK, Williams RG, Booty MD, Owens-Young, JL, Webster DW, & Buggs SA. Community perspectives on gun violence and safety: The role of policing in Baltimore City. Journal of Criminal Justice, 2022; 101964.

Leider JP, Seller K, Owens-Young JL, Ramirez GG, Bogaert K, Gendelman M, Castrucci BC. Determinants of workplace perceptions among federal, state, and local public health staff in the US, 2014 to 2017. BMC Public Health. 2021; https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11703-x . 

Owens-Young JL, Bell CN. Structural racial inequities in socioeconomic status, urban/rural classification, and infant mortality in US counties. Ethnicity & Disease. 2020; https://ethndis.org/archive/files/ethndis-30-389.pdf

Bell CN, Owens-Young JL. Self-rated health and structural racism indicated by county level racial inequities in socioeconomic status: The role of urban-rural classification. Journal of Urban Health. 2020; doi:10.1007/s11524-019-00389-7.