About Us

About Us

The Community Engagement Core works with North Carolina communities affected by environmental contaminants, with a focus on early life exposures to chemicals that may have impacts later in life.

Feel free to reach out to us with questions at SuperfundCEC@duke.edu

What do we do?

The CEC promotes environmental health literacy in communities disproportionately impacted by chemical contaminants.

How do we do it?

The CEC partners with community-based and serving organizations focused on education, outreach, and policy actions related to environmental health issues.

CEC’s process for engagement

Why do we do it?

The CEC aims to increase individual and community awareness of the sources and impacts of chemical contaminants in the environment, and support the community’s efforts to address associated health risks.

Community Engagement Core’s model of engagement at the individual, community, and policy change levels.

Who We Are

Elizabeth Shapiro-Garza, PhD, directs the Community Engagement Core (CEC). She has over twenty years of both applied and research experience related to community engagement. Her expertise is in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), the translation of science for low-literacy users, and in pedagogical approaches to teaching community engagement practice and theory.

Chiara Klein (Community Engagement Core) joined the Center in July 2021 and is the Program Coordinator for Community Engagement. She has a Master’s of Environmental Management degree from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.

Sam Cohen (Research Translation Core and Community Engagement Core) joined the Superfund Research Center in July 2018 and is now a Senior Environmental Health Program Coordinator. Sam holds a Master’s of Environmental Management degree from the Yale School of the Environment.

Our Community Advisory Board