Education & Affiliations
Biography
Dr. Chalk is a fourth-generation resident of New Orleans' 7th Ward and the Founder and Executive Director of Healthy Community Services, a non-profit focused on public health issues in the community. She is a former President of the Louisiana Public Health Association and has served on the American Public Health Association’s Center for Climate, Health & Equity Steering Committee. Her work emphasizes Community Science, the Urban Heat Island Effect, and its impact on African American communities, aiming to address urban flooding, food insecurity, and climate resilience. Chalk serves on several advisory boards including the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the American Geo-Physical Union Thriving Earth Exchange. She is a nationally certified Community Engagement Facilitator by the National Association of Climate Resilience Planners.
Under her leadership, Healthy Community Services received the 2022 Outstanding Non-Profit Award from the U.S. Water Alliance. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Research Areas
- Urban Heat Island Effect
- Urban Pluvial Flood Management
- Urban Agriculture
- Coastal Resilience Environmental Stewardship and Community Spectrum Engagement & Outreach
Honors & Awards
- 2022 Outstanding Non-Profit Award - U.S. Water Alliance
- 2019 Congressional Testimony- Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife; “Healthy Oceans and Healthy Economies: The State of Our Oceans in the 21st Century.”
