Sarah Gabriella Hernandez is an evaluator and researcher who identifies effective strategies to strengthen the health, well-being, and education of communities. She has collaborated with organizations and community partners across Chicago to conduct mixed-methods research, evaluations, program development and coordination, community health assessments, and dissemination. She specializes in community-engaged and participatory approaches.

Hernandez has led EDC’s Chicago Substance Use and Recovery Services Evaluation, as well as contributing to the design and coordination of two foundation-funded evaluations. Previously, as the evaluation manager of Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma (ReCAST), she coordinated evaluation activities that assessed community resilience. She has also led participatory research and evaluation capacity building with ReCAST Community Ambassadors.

Before joining EDC, Hernandez published works related to oral histories as critical expertise in leading qualitative methods in public health and the use of multiple qualitative methods to better discern community health needs.

Hernandez holds a PhD in Community and Prevention Research from the University of Illinois at Chicago.