Roland Lankah

Public health program director, advocate, and researcher with over ten years' experience coordinating, implementing, and evaluating public health programs. Built and strengthened partnerships with service providers, community leaders, and other stakeholders to increase health awareness in communities. Strong academic background in global health, epidemiology, financing of public health programs, public health leadership models and quantitative cross-sectional research design.

Actively contribute to public health-related professional organizations through leadership, service, and mentoring.

Assistant Health Director/Director of Environmental Health at Brookline Department of Health & Human Services (2021-01 – Present)

• Implement/coordinate programs, including plans for disease prevention, epidemiology and public health nursing, environmental health, and emergency planning initiatives.
• Plan, organize and direct all activities, program, and staff of the city of Brookline Board of Health Department, including administration, finance, health information and development services, health promotions, sanitary inspections, and animal control. Provides professional assistance and direction to department staff.
• Direct the department's environmental health programs, including planning and executing policies and procedures related to environmental health compliance.
• Provide training requirements and professional development priorities.

Director, Environmental Health Program at Cook County Sheriff's Office (2016-01 – 2021-12)

• Oversee/coordinate the Cook County Department of Corrections Environmental Health program. Manage and coordinate the activities of all environmental health personnel and related contracts.
• Coordinate infection control programs and implement evidence-based public health strategies to educate stakeholders about the impact and spread of infectious diseases.
• In conjunction with Cermak medical staff, develop and implement policies and standard operating procedures, conduct epidemiological investigations, and provide recommendations to Executive Director about infectious, and communicable diseases.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures related to environmental health and safety program, evaluate, modify as necessary, and oversee all policies and procedures related to environmental health and safety. Participate as subject matter expertise (SME) on program evaluation committee.
• Served as a liaison between coalitions of federal, state, and local representatives, and stakeholders to establish program objectives and financial resources.
• Collaborated with community members on needs assessment, program design, and implementation of data-driven prevention strategies and community education programs.
• Coordinated programmatic work funded by prevention contracts and increased internal and external capacity-building efforts.
• Prepared and submitted Department of Justice Consent Decree Order programmatic reports, organized meetings, and delivered presentations.
• Participate in setting human resources, budgetary activities, including approval and dissemination of monetary compensations for contracts, and budget for environmental health activities.

Environmental Health Sanitarian at DuPage County Health Department (2010-01 – 2016-12)

• Supported Community Health Outreach Manager in developing and implementing community programs and partnerships to promote public health.
• Perform routine compliance inspections of facilities including but not limited to the following: retail, mobile, and nonprofit food establishments, vendors; public and private schools; public, private, and institutional child-care facilities.
• Responsible for collecting, testing, and analyzing water systems; such as private sewage disposal systems private well, public swimming pools and other environmental samples to determine chemical and bacteriological components. Ex, total coliform, E. coli, Nitrite/nitrate, nitrate, lead, screening, fluoride, etc.
• Perform site evaluation for properties, and buildings to determine chemical components, including, but not limited to lead, and other radioactive material such as radon, and sewage gas.
• Develops and maintains quality control procedures in compliance with applicable laboratory regulatory authorities such as Illinois Environmental protection Agency, Illinois Department of Public Health, and US Environmental Protection Agency
• Preparation and carrying out technical laboratory testing and disease surveillance for community West Nile virus.

College Professor at Worcester State University (2021-01 – 2022-12)

• Introduction to Public Health: Developed course materials, including syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts
• Deliver lectures to undergraduate students on topics such as What is public health, Science of public health, Biomedical Basis of Public Health, and Social, Environmental Issues in Public Health, and Behavior Factors in Health
• Evaluate and grade students' classwork, assignments, and papers
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions
• Compile, administer, and grade examinations.

College Professor at Worcester State University (2022-01 – Present)

• Environmental Health: Prepare course materials, including syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts
• Challenged and motivated students through in-depth lectures and discussions
• Lectured and communicated effectively with students from diverse backgrounds
• Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students
• Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media

Training Specialist at Cook County Department of Corrections (2016-01 – 2021-12)

• Develop and facilitate training to correctional officers on the following topics, 1) Safety practices and standard operating procedures 2) Sanitation 3) Infection Control 4) Bloodborne pathogens 5) Environmental compliance inspections 6) Safe chemical storage and use, and 7) Fire safety.
• Facilitate discussions, educate on Food Safety for Pregnant Women concepts for detainee population, and strengthen problem solving and decision-making abilities.
• Oversee and conduct training program and educate on infection control and sanitation for detainee population. Develop and issue certifications.
• Present case studies, design interactive activities, and share scenarios to engage students in active learning.

PhD in Public Health/Epidemiology – Walden University (2022-12)

Master of Public Health – Walden University (2018-12)

Bachelor of Art in Biological Science – Southern Illinois University (2010-12)