Kathy Rovito

Lecturer | Director, Community Health Program

Dr. Rovito is the Faculty Director of the Community Health program in the Department of Health Professions. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses related to community and public health. She is a social health researcher and a health educator. Her research interests focus on social connections and the social determinants of health among the male population. Specifically, her scholarly work uses mixed-methods to explore the social-ecological and intersectional perspectives to the mental, social, and spiritual health of young adult males.

Her prior experiences in public health include hosting bilingual health education workshops to Nicaraguan youth refugees and women and children of Alajuelita, Costa Rica, and the underserved populations in Chepo, Panamá. She also facilitated a photo-voice campaign in the neighborhoods of South Boston to address concerns of food insecurity in the community and used motivational interviewing to connect with and encourage health behavior change among at-risk youth admitted to Boston Medical Center’s Pediatric ER.

Dr. Rovito leads The Male Wellness Collective, a 501(c)(3) with the mission of humanizing the health and well-being of our men and boys. The nonprofit provides evidence-informed outreach to foster connected communities and conducts research. She also conducts research as a consultant for Avant Healthcare Professionals on the social-ecological drivers of resilience in internationally educated nurses.

Dr. Rovito is actively involved in her community as a member of the Resilience Network through the Peace and Justice Institute – a collective impact movement in Central Florida focused on raising awareness around Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences and trauma-informed practices, and the Florida Healthy Youth Alliance – a statewide initiative that focuses on supporting medically accurate, inclusive, trauma-informed, and culturally competent sexual health education in grades K-12. She is also a member and a lead for the research and grants team of 100 Women Strong – a philanthropic circle dedicated to tackling the biggest challenges affecting women and children in Central Florida through root-cause analyses and collaborating with community partners to create innovative solutions.

Dr. Rovito is a mother of three (including her dog, a Shiba Inu) and a loving partner. Her passion centers on connection, helping others connect with themselves and our communities to promote well-being.

Education

DrPH, Health Education, Loma Linda University
MPH, Maternal and Child Health, Boston University
BS, Molecular Biology and Microbiology, University of Central Florida