Public Health Institute Welcomes Kat Kowalski, Shirley Rodríguez to Team

SPRINGFIELD — The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts (PHIWM) recently welcomed two new team members, Data Coordinator Kat Kowalski and Communications Coordinator Shirley Rodríguez.

Kowalski brings experience advancing health equity through public health practice, research, evaluation, and community partnerships. She earned her master of public health degree in population and global health from the Colorado School of Public Health and her bachelor’s degree in environmental geography and sustainability from UMass Amherst.

Before joining PHIWM, she worked across local and state public health systems in Colorado and Massachusetts. Her experience includes supporting people experiencing homelessness through the Health District of Northern Larimer County, coordinating community outreach and vaccine initiatives during Colorado’s COVID-19 response, and leading policy, systems, and environmental change work with the UMass Nutrition Education Program to improve food access and healthy living opportunities. She has also contributed to research on neighborhood environments, historical redlining, and childhood health outcomes, publishing in the Journal of Urban Health.

Kowalski is committed to community engagement and leadership. She served as co-lead of the Colorado Public Health Assoc. Health Equity Coalition Professional Development Workgroup and volunteers with the Holyoke Food and Equity Collective.

Rodríguez is a communications and community engagement professional with more than 20 years of experience supporting nonprofit, public health, housing, and government organizations throughout Western Mass. She specializes in strategic communications, community outreach, content creation, and stakeholder engagement.

She returns to PHIWM, where she previously served as executive assistant and project coordinator from 2016 to 2021. During her earlier tenure, she supported initiatives including 413Cares.org, the Springfield Healthy Homes Collaborative, and the Go Fresh Mobile Market through communications, outreach, and community engagement efforts.

In her current role, Rodríguez supports the Public Health Institute’s communications efforts and respiratory health initiatives, helping connect communities with information, resources, and opportunities that promote health and well-being. She holds a bachelor’s degree in leadership and organizational studies from Bay Path University and is passionate about advancing health equity across the region.