christian h. bijoux is the new Executive Director of the Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health, Connecticut General Assembly. He will hep lead efforts to eliminate population disparities in public health systems and the communities they serve. His approach is based on the Community Development Model for Public Health Applications, which focuses on the community as the primary unit of analysis and action. This model emphasizes that eliminating disparities depends on three key areas: community competence, community development, and community prevention. As an epidemiologist and social policy scholar, dr. bijoux is uniquely positioned to bridge traditional risk-factor analysis with deeper community-level assessment to address persistent disparities.
bijoux joined the Commission from Georgetown University’s Center for Youth Justice, where he served as Deputy Director of Community Development and Enhancement. In this role, he led national initiatives to advance youth justice reform across multiple states and jurisdictions. His work focused on building capacity and infrastructure, including research, programs, services, leadership, organizations, and networks, while enhancing cooperation and trust. He established partnerships with government agencies, courts, philanthropy, and community organizations to co-design evidence-informed strategies tailored to local needs. He also promoted professional learning and leadership development programs to strengthen reform efforts and facilitated collaborative meetings that supported accountability and long-term systems change.
The community competence axis has also been central to dr. bijoux’s work within systems affecting children. At the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, he co-designed statewide equity and fairness initiatives focused on the historical, structural, and psychosocial impacts of race and racism, aligning with the Model’s emphasis on history, culture, and context. He advanced data-informed efforts to address racial disparities statewide. dr. bijoux co-chaired the Department’s Family Advisory Council, ensuring family perspectives informed policy and service delivery, and managed the Second Chance Act: Smart on Juvenile Justice federal grant. As Director of the Dually Involved Youth Initiative for the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California, he led a countywide, cross-system effort to support youth involved in both the juvenile legal and child welfare systems. He brought together courts, probation, child welfare, and community partners to develop shared practices, oversaw ongoing evaluation, and advised leaders on issues affecting marginalized populations.
dr. bijoux holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Social Policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University, a Master of Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management, a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Health Management & Policy from Drexel University School of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The City College of New York.
