Our Team

Sara Solomon, MPH, RD

Co-Director, REACH  |  Deputy Director, Penn Injury Science Center  |  sarasol@upenn.edu

Sara is a public health leader with over 20 years of experience advancing community-engaged research and practice to improve health outcomes for underrepresented communities. Her work prioritizes partnerships with people with lived experience and community-based organizations to ensure findings directly serve those impacted.

As Deputy Director of the Penn Injury Science Center, Sara oversees research, training, and outreach initiatives while leading the Penn Community Violence Prevention Program. She also co-directs the Penn Community Scholars Program and the REACH Initiative, fostering meaningful collaborations between academics and community partners.

A doctoral candidate in Public Health at Johns Hopkins, Sara specializes in Implementation Science with a focus on community-based, evidence-informed practices. She also serves as Board Chair of the Young Chances Foundation, supporting grassroots community efforts.

Nicole Thomas, MBA

Co-Director, REACH  |  Director, Center for Health Justice and Urban Health Lab  |  nicoleat@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Nicole is a dynamic strategist, trainer, and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience spanning higher education, financial services, business management, and workforce development. She specializes in community-academic partnerships, strategic planning, organizational development, culture building, and high-impact communications.

Nicole serves as the Director of the Penn Medicine Center for Health Justice and is the co-founder and Co-Director of the Penn Community Scholars Program and the REACH Initiative (Research and Engagement in Academic-Community Partnerships for Health) at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2011, she founded and continues to lead a Philadelphia-based consulting firm dedicated to providing customized training, technical assistance, and strategic solutions to enhance the sustainability and impact of academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and small businesses.

Nicole holds a Master of Business Administration from Temple University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Kutztown University. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Higher Education Management at the University of Pennsylvania.

Lucy Wolf Tuton, PhD

Associate Director, REACH  |  Adjunct Professor of Medicine and of Prevention and Population Health  |  Executive Director, Bridging the Gaps  |  tuton@upenn.edu

Dr. Tuton is an Adjunct Professor at the Perelman School of Medicine, where she leads initiatives in community-academic partnerships and professional development for faculty and trainees. She is the Executive Director of Bridging the Gaps, a nationally recognized program connecting health professionals with marginalized communities through partnerships with over 600 organizations.

She co-founded the Penn Community Scholars Program and the REACH Initiative, fostering equitable community-academic research collaborations, and directs professional development for FOCUS on Health & Leadership for Women. A leader in career development, Dr. Tuton co-directed curricula for the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program and the Penn Faculty Pathways Program.

Andrew Belfiglio, MPH

Director of Communications and Data Analytics, REACH  |  andrew.belfiglio@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

With a background in psychology and public health, Andrew helps community organizations and academics communicate more effectively with their stakeholders through print and digital media, including websites, data visuals, videography, and more. The overarching goals in Andrew’s work are to help people strategize their messages and to make data more accessible and actionable to improve public health.