Paulette Baukol, CEARCH Management Council Co-Chair

CTSI creates new community member leadership role, welcomes Paulette Baukol

Paulette Baukol has been selected by the Community Engagement to Advance Research and Community Health (CEARCH) Management Council to serve as its first Community Co-Chair, a new role to be held exclusively by an individual not affiliated with the University of Minnesota.

The council informs and guides the mission and work of CEARCH, CTSI’s community engagement office. “The CEARCH Management Council’s role is to support how research is organized and conducted in partnership and service to the community,” explains Jerica Berge, PhD, MPH, CEARCH co-director. “Members represent community and nonprofit organizations, state institutions, and University of Minnesota staff.” 

Over her two-year term as Co-Chair, Paulette will help guide CTSI’s strategic work plan and overall goals to promote equitable community-engaged research, and partner with CEARCH’s Assistant Director, Chao Yang, to facilitate Management Council activities.

“This new Community Co-Chair position will bring community voice to the forefront of decisions affecting the council and CTSI’s work,” said Michele Allen, MD, MS, CEARCH Co-Director. “This structure represents our mission to share power and truly understand the health issues important to Minnesota communities. We’re excited about Paulette being our first Co-Chair and value her extensive experience in collaborating with both community members and researchers.”

Paulette is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and has served as a member of the Management Council since 2020. She is currently a Lead Research Project Manager at the Berman Center for Outcomes and Clinical Research at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute and a member of the board of directors for the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center.

Paulette brings past experience in published research and her role as Director of Operations for the Mayo Clinic’s Spirit of EAGLES, a National Cancer Institute-funded program focused on reducing cancer disparities among American Indians and Alaska Natives.