113 Coaching Client Spotlight: Natasha Crooks, PhD, RN

Dr. Crooks is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, College of Nursing and an affiliate faculty at the Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science (CDIS) in the UIC Department of Medicine. Her community-engaged research program centers on protecting Black female sexual and reproductive health. She has developed a conceptual model describing the sociocultural processes and conditions influencing Black female sexual development and STI/HIV risk funded by the NIH (F31NR016624). She recently created the IMARA for Black Male Caregivers And Girls Empowerment (IMAGE) program, which engages Black male caregivers in the protection of Black girls to reduce early sexual engagement, sexual violence, and STI/HIV risk.Dr. Crooks’ other research projects focus on developing a measure to identify girls at risk for early sexual debut, sexual trauma, and STI/HIV, improving Black maternal health, and health outcomes among sex workers in Chicago.She is also an alumnus of our Get That Grant® coaching program!Listen in as we discuss her coaching journey and: How she fell victim to burnout and who came to the rescueWhat it looked like for her to set and hold boundaries for herselfA pivotal moment in the coaching application process that solidified her decision to join the cohortWhen transparency and vulnerability became key ingredients to her success If you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations.Text Dr. Kemi directly.