Tatiana E. Bustos

Dr. Tatiana Bustos is a researcher in the Center for Equity and Social Justice Research and the Equity Capacity Building Hub in RTI International’s Transformative Research Unit for Equity (TRUE). She is an expert in community-based participatory research, culturally responsive and equity centered evaluation, and mixed-methods research designs. In her capacity as a researcher, she is bridging science with practice to enhance meaningful engagement of communities throughout program development and initiatives. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and presentations that expand on the practice-based aspects of doing community centered work in partnership with community members from marginalized backgrounds.

With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Bustos brings a diverse portfolio of community engaged research and evaluation projects across broad social issues in public health, racial healing, criminal justice systems, and environmental justice. Currently, Dr. Bustos directs a project with Big Cities Health Coalition that is focused on narratives and community change. In collaboration with local and national partner representatives, this work aims to advance health equity efforts for local and national public health systems and community informed narratives related to community safety. She also leads the Participatory Governance for EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. This work builds the foundation of a governance structure for regional advisory boards that engage environmental justice communities as decisionmakers of federal funding awards, impacting 21 states and over 116 tribal nations. She also provides expert consultation to RTI staff on ways to embed an equity perspective with systematic, intentional designs for community participation and engagement.

Prior to RTI, Dr. Bustos has collaborated with clients in nonprofits, foundations, universities, and executive leadership teams in state and local public health departments. She has led and designed applied participatory research engaged with community advisory groups for state and local government initiatives. Her work was awarded with the 2023 Next Generation Rising Leader Award from the National Network of Public Health Institutes for her commitment to advancing equity in local and state public health government.

Dr. Bustos holds professional certifications in Results Based Accountability and as a certified Implementation Support Specialist. She is a professionally trained facilitator and has designed workshops for national networks, including the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children and National Network of Public Health Institutes. Dr. Bustos is also an instructor for RTI’s Equity Centered Transformative Research Foundations Training and has designed and led professional development training for Applying Participatory Methods To Advance Equity Centered Research and Design and Establishing Authentic and Equitable Research Partnerships with Community.

She is an active member of the American Evaluation Association and is an associate editor for the American Journal of Evaluation, Journal of Multidisciplinary Evaluation, and Global Journal of Implementation Research and Practice.