Staff
Executive Director: Jasmine J. Opusunju, DrPH, MSEd, CHES, CPH
Dr. Opusunju received her DrPH in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Texas School of Public Health (Houston) with a minor in Management, Policy, and Community Health and a concentration in Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR). She has extensive experience in grassroots community engagement, capacity building, coalition development, and leadership and advocacy training to promote environmental changes essential for facilitating the adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyles. Dr. Opusunju has spent over 12 years working in health promotion research in various capacities with a particular focus on social justice, health equity, the built environment and childhood obesity, and CBPR. She has also been engaged in research related to body image, patient navigation, and colorectal cancer screening. Her background experience extends from the corporate sector in the international food industry for over 15 years. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), serves in various leadership positions (eg. Board Member for the African American Health Coalition; Treasurer, Past President, and Advocacy Committee Chair for the Texas Society for Public Health Education, and is Certified in Public Health (CPH). Dr. Opusunju has been in academia for over 10 years and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Prairie View A&M University. Dr. Opusunju’s personal mission is to leverage resources to reach the communities in need while empowering communities to be engaged in the creation of effective policies and sustainable systems that will promote health equity.
Program coordinator: Jalissa Wilson
Jalissa received her Bachelors of Science in Healthcare Administration from Texas Southern University. She began as an intern at CAN DO Houston and quickly realized her passion for non-profit community based work. She works closely with CAN DO’s interns on all major initiatives. She coordinates activities in CAN Do's target communities as well as assists the Executive Director in implementing all action towards the progression of CAN Do's mission. She looks forward to a future filled with relevant and sustainable solutions to food access and increased physical activity in communities across Houston.
Interns
Tri Pham
Tri is currently a student at Rice University (Class of 2019), studying Kinesiology (Sports Medicine) and Biochemistry & Cell Biology. He is working to become a physician and hopes to get a deeper perspective on the health issues in the communities that CAN DO works with. In his spare time, Tri likes to climb anything and everything - from the rooftops of lecture halls at Rice to the snowy mountains of Alaska.
Taylor Burnett
Taylor Burnett is a student at Clemson University majoring in Mathematical Sciences and minoring in Economics. She is currently an intern at CAN DO Houston through a program called Mission Year. She wants to learn the different avenues in which community development can empower individuals to take ownership in transforming their neighborhood into a place they are proud to call home. She considers Taylor Swift music to be the soundtrack to her life (all albums) and loves to Contra Dance.
Claire Jordan
Claire Jordan is currently a junior at Texas Woman’s University. She is majoring in Nursing and minoring in Health Education. Through her internship at Can Do, she hopes to gain hands on experience working within communities to improve the health of Houstonians. In her spare time, Claire enjoys cooking, reading, and walking her two dogs.
Allie Bourgeois
Allie is a senior Nutritional Sciences major at Texas A&M University. Through her internship at CAN DO Houston she hopes to learn how to effect policy and the community to make advancements towards healthy, active lifestyles. No matter what, three things that can always put a smile on Allie's face are her pit bull Bella, breakfast food, and HGTV.
Anjanette Nikodym
Anjanette is attending University of Houston as an undergraduate, pursuing a degree in Public Health with a minor in Nutrition. While interning with CAN DO Houston, Anjanette hopes to put what she has learned in school towards the workplace and to better herself professionally. Anjanette has a 16 month old at home who is her daily motivation.
