Robin Narruhn

I am a nurse researcher and professor at Seattle University. I earned my PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Washington where I researched policies and practices that promote culturally safe reproductive care for women from Somalia.  My master’s degree is in community and global health. I am Marshallese and have witnessed the health inequities and poltical detrminants of health affect my community. My most recent research explored the structural barriers for Marshallese immigrants seeking health care in Washington State. My current research projects include conscientization among Pacific Islander youth and survivance among Marshallese people. I am one of the inaugural co-chairs of the Community Health Board Coalition, which began with 9 BIPOC health boards in 2017, and currently with 16 health boards. The coalition’s work has conducted community-based participatory research including a community mental health assessment, an assessment of community health priorities, and work on mitigating the effects of racism and the COVID-19 pandemic on immigrant and BIPOC communities. I served as a King County Board of Health member from 2023-2025. I am also a board member of the Pacific Islander Community Association, and Farmer Frog and the chair of the Equity and Justice Committee at Seattle University. I am the daughter of an immigrant, a Pacific Islander, and a mother of one.  In my spare time, I love to read, walk, and garden.