James Rouse Iñiguez is the Program Coordinator for CTSI's Community Engagement & Health Policy (CE&HP) program.
How long have you worked at UCSF?
I started in July of 2007 in the Department of Family & Community Medicine. Before coming to CTSI I worked with the Pacific AIDS Education & Training Center (PAETC), and the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health.
What do you do at UCSF and how is it connected to the UCSF mission?
I am currently the Program Coordinator for CTSI’s Community Engagement & Health Policy Program. Within the program I administrate our core services, and coordinate our two primary initiatives; San Francisco Health Improvement Partnership (SFHIP) and San Francisco Bay Area Collaborative Research Network (SF Bay CRN). When people ask me what I do outside the academy, I tell them “I work on a team that tries to make sure all the cool stuff that happens at UCSF is being used by those who would benefit from it."
What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of your job?
One of our colleagues from SFHIP once told us that “the University should be accessible as your local library” and I’ve taken that as my charge for being a representative of UCSF in community settings – a challenge that is in itself rewarding. Its great to be a part of a group (CTSI) that values how community-based and practice-based mutually beneficial partnerships can play a part in the vision of UCSF’s future.
What do you like most about your work related to Community Engagement & Health Policy?
The biggest thread across my career thus far has been storytelling, whether it was a teacher, filmmaker, sociologist, or researcher – I seem to be doing work that is about telling stories, or helping someone tell a story. I really like that, and I’m happy to see it play out in CE&HP when we help people tell the story of what they need to live healthy lives.
What are some things that people may not know about the work you do?
I literally have a hand in everything that happens in my program, which in turn allows me to meet tons of interesting people both at UCSF and other institutions.
If you chose another career path outside UCSF what would it be?
When I first started college I was a computer science major but decided instead to drink the cool-aid of the fine arts. If I were to go back to school today I think I’d continue down that path. Of course the upshot is that my team has a built-in IT person, so there’s that.
What's something that your colleagues or members of the UCSF community might be surprised to know about you?
My Mom was a recording artist in Mexico during the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and encouraged all her kids to be musicians. I play drums in a rock band, bass in a punk band, and write songs at home on acoustic guitar. One of my goals in life is to learn jazz piano and play at restaurants in a snazzy tuxedo.
What are your favorite things to do with your free time?
When I’m not at UCSF I play music in bands (see above), I’m a local DJ at a few different nightclubs, and an MC at a Best of the Bay award-winning trivia night in SoMA. Im a huge sci-fi/fantasy fan, so my kindle is a cherished possession. I love to swim at the Parnassus pool before work. I’m an aspiring foodie, so when I can I try to enjoy the fine dining in SF with my husband. I’ve also (not surprisingly for CTSI) started learning to knit.
CTSI Spotlight is part of an ongoing series that offers an opportunity for faculty and staff to learn more about the wide range of people who make CTSI's work possible. See all featured faculty and staff.