Tatiana E. Bustos

Dr. Tatiana Bustos is a researcher and facilitator for 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 for the benefit of enhancing the 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 possesses a diverse portfolio of projects in community-engaged research and evaluations across broad social issues in public health, education, racial healing initiatives, and health services. Currently, Dr. Bustos is a project director for a project with Big Cities Health Coalition to identify innovative equity metrics in collaboration with a workgroup to better support health equity efforts in local public health systems. She is also the Participatory Governance lead for EPA's Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program.

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 also 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 and professional associations, including the National Network of Public Health Institutes, the Children, Youth, and Families At Risk Professional Development and Technical Assistance Center and the Society for Community Research and Action.

With TRUE, Dr. Bustos is an instructor for the Equity Centered Transformative Research Foundations Training and has designed and led trainings for Applying Participatory Methods To Advance Equity Centered Research and Design and Establishing Authentic and Equitable Research Partnerships with Community. She also provides expert consultation to RTI staff on projects and proposals to embed an equity perspective and systematic, intentional designs for community participation and engagement.

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.