Collaborate With Us
For information, please email MCWCCCOE@mcw.edu.
About the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement
The Office of Community Outreach and Engagement facilitates community-relevant research by:
- Educating and engaging members and trainees on Catchment Area issues and priorities to ignite investigator interest
- Facilitating relationships and communications between researchers and community members
- Assisting in grant development and facilitating research
- Encouraging diverse populations to participate in clinical research
COE’s impact is enhanced by its collaboration with the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in fostering diversity and a culture of inclusion, and the Office of Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination on increasing training and education opportunities to increase workforce diversity.
COE Leadership
Staci Young, PhD
Associate Director, Community Outreach and Engagement
A lifelong Milwaukeean, Young leads the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement and brings over 25 years of experience in research, advocacy, and leadership to promote equitable health for all, including African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and under and uninsured individuals statewide. She is an expert in culturally relevant, community-informed methods to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions to address health disparities, including cancer.
COE Team Members
Debra Nevels, MSHCM
Program Manager, Community Outreach and Engagement
Deb has served as program manager of community outreach and engagement at the MCW Cancer Center since 2019. Her career spans 7 years leading healthcare initiatives at the American Cancer Society to support newly diagnosed cancer patients and decrease the cancer burden across populations.
Raul Romo
Community Engagement Coordinator, Hispanic Outreach
Raul has served in the healthcare community as a medical interpreter for Spanish-speaking patients for more than 15 years. In his current role, he leads Hispanic outreach efforts for communities across Wisconsin.
Melanie Burns
Community Engagement Coordinator, Women’s Health and Faith-based Outreach
Melanie is a leader in volunteer services, with extensive experience guiding program development for non-profit faith-based and healthcare organizations. She is an inspirational public speaker and an advocate for social justice.
Ambrose Wilson-Brown
Community Engagement Coordinator, Men's Health Outreach
Ambrose came to MCW in 2022 after a decade in public service roles in education, health, and well-being. He is using his passion for wellness coaching to support men’s health initiatives in the community, including a support group for prostate cancer survivors.
Adrena Luckett
Patient Navigator
Adrena has a deep-rooted passion for patient advocacy and healthcare accessibility. She is a certified oncology navigator and financial navigator, accredited by the George Washington University Navigation program. She brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the healthcare system having previously served as Member Advocate, then Senior Community Relations Advocate at United Healthcare.