Monique Simone Shaw

Monique Shaw, senior program officer, joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in 2019. A committed public health practitioner, she draws upon her prior work in health education, health policy research, program coordination, and community outreach to transform systems and build a Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. She views her work as enabling healthcare, public health, and social service systems to work closely together to disrupt systems of oppression by centering communities most impacted by inequity. She strives to leverage philanthropic resources to support systems change, power building strategies, and transformative leadership to advance racial and health equity. 

Previously, Monique served as an assistant program director at the University of the Sciences. She also worked as program coordinator for the University of Pennsylvania’s MPH program, managing the admissions process for hundreds of applicants annually, and serving as a liaison between the MPH program and community-based public health agencies and healthcare and non-profit organizations.

Earlier, Monique was the outreach projects manager for Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care (PCHC), the southeastern Pennsylvania healthcare quality unit. Her work managing outreach and providing technical assistance to community-based health and social service organizations helped spread awareness and increase access to community physical and mental healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). In this role, she produced the “Bridging the Gap...One Story at a Time” project, which captured the stories of more than 50 individuals with I/DD and co-occurring mental health challenges and their advocates, now housed at the National Library of Congress. 

Monique earned a doctorate in health policy from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia with a focus on maternal and child health, a Master of Public Health from Drexel University with a focus on community health and prevention, and a BS in psychology from Howard University.

Born and raised in Detroit—where most members of her large, extended family still reside—she lives in Jenkintown, Pa. In her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Blair, and two daughters, Parker and Clark. Together they enjoy traveling, hiking in Wissahickon Valley Park, and watching movies.

Monique is a practicing full spectrum doula supporting and advocating for women of color and low-income families throughout their reproductive health journeys. Having received her training from Ancient Song Doula Services in Brooklyn, N.Y., she approaches her work through a reproductive justice lens by supporting birthing people in making informed decisions about their care.