A public health, education, and inclusion strategist whose professional interests lie at the intersection of educational and health equity
Shirley Torho is a public health and education strategist with over a fifteen years of experience and has served as Director of an Adolescent Sexual Health Program; Project Manager and Subject Matter Expert for a producer, publisher, and distributor of award-winning evidence-based health programs; Director of Social Emotional Learning and Enrichment at the largest Title I provider in the country, and as an equity and strategic planning consultant for medical institutions, departments of health, children and family service organizations, policy and advocacy institutions, and HIV prevention and treatment organizations around the country.
She is passionate about eliminating structural barriers that facilitate health, education, and opportunity disparities in historically marginalized groups. Her work includes research on using trauma-informed care approaches in health and educational settings. She has also developed curricula, trainings, and programming that span a wide array of topics, including advancing equity in schools; fostering growth mindset and risk-tolerance on successful teams; explicitly teaching social emotional learning competencies; and cultivating inclusive leadership and mentorship practices. She has coached health providers and physicians, school leadership, and clergy in improving diversity and inclusion, creating safe and affirming spaces for all, and developing a vision for equity in various settings.
Shirley’s passion for leadership, social change, and service to community grew during her time as a student at Barnard College, and then at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She notes that in both places, she learned the value of the servant leader, who prioritizes not just results, but also relationships, and works collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to drive transformation. She is a Gates Millennium Scholar and has worked with leading health and educational institutions across the globe, including the UN Foundation, the Ministry of Health in Australia, National Policing Institute, New York University, Columbia University, McGraw Hill, Pearson, Mount Sinai Health System and the Icahn School of Medicine, the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Urban Coalition for HIV/AIDS Prevention Services (UCHAPS), and the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD).