mission statement
The RAC Fund for Social Justice will work to support Rebecca’s dreams of improving health and health care for everyone through bold policy change and health system reform. Rebecca believed that health is a basic human right, not a privilege for some. And she therefore also believed that major public policy and system reforms were needed to ensure that everyone has equal access to all of the main social determinants of health – quality education, safe physical environments, food security, affordable housing, and affordable and quality health care--regardless of race, income, or where people live. Rebecca also believed that the U.S. health care system, including hospitals and insurance plans with their major resources and influence, needed to be reformed to have a stronger focus on prevention, community health, and the social factors that drive health inequality.
The overall mission of the RAC Fund for Social Justice is to keep Rebecca’s dream for health equity alive. To reach this goal, the fund will provide scholarships to like-minded University of Michigan graduate students who are committed to the same vision and goals as Rebecca, and who are also investing in dual graduate degrees that combine deep training in both public policy/advocacy/system reform and health, including public health and medical care.
Funds could also be disbursed to tax exempt organizations working toward the goals Rebecca believed and organizations that impacted Rebecca’s life.
Year-End Message from Rebecca's Family
To Our Supporters of the RAC Fund,
Our family established the Rebecca A. Copeland Fund soon after we lost Rebecca, both to keep her spirit alive and to carry forward the ambitions she dared to dream. From the time she was a young child, Rebecca cared deeply about what was “fair.” Whenever she was told what to do, she would often reply, “That’s not fair.” As she grew older, this instinct evolved into a thoughtful perspective on the inequities she saw around her.
Determined to make a difference, Rebecca spent a summer volunteering in Nashville’s “food deserts,” helping bring fresh produce to underserved neighborhoods. She also led small educational seminars on the benefits of healthy foods. In her own way, she worked to level the playing field.
Rebecca was equally passionate about health care and the structure of our health care system. She believed it was fundamentally fair that all Americans should have access to care. A 2017 article that deeply influenced her thinking “Is Health Care a Right?” by surgeon and health care expert, Atul Gawande, helped shape her path toward graduate studies in public health and public policy.
Because of your generosity, RAC Fund has been able to accomplish the following:
Support ten graduate students at the University of Michigan who are preparing to lead in health care access and population health.
Provide four internships at the Center for Health & Research Transformation, where Rebecca interned during graduate school.
Fund summer camp scholarships for children who would otherwise miss out on the experiences that shaped Rebecca’s childhood.
Support research led by Rebecca’s graduate school mentor in public health and public policy.
Partner with Experience Camps, guiding children through the grief of losing a loved one, an organization especially meaningful to Rebecca’s closest friends.
Provide resources to The Institute of Soil & Soul, a regenerative farm that donates all its produce to The Ark where it can feed families facing food insecurity, a cause Rebecca cared for deeply.
Every gift, at every level, extends Rebecca’s legacy of fairness and gives real people a chance at healthier, more equitable lives.
As we look to the year ahead, we hope you’ll remain by our side. Your continued generosity allows Rebecca’s spirit and values to live on, supporting more organizations that embody the fairness and opportunity she intended to devote her life to. You can make a gift today HERE.
Thank you for the kindness you’ve shown our family, and for helping keep Rebecca’s spirit alive through the work we do in her name.
David, Liz, Sarah, Jason, Jonathan and Mallory
2025 In review
Shayla Harrison named chrt’s Rebecca copeland memorial intern for 2024
The Center for Health and Research Transformation (CHRT) is a nonprofit health policy center at the University of Michigan. CHRT works to transform data and research into useful information that can be used to craft policies and practices that improve the health of people and communities.
Shayla Harrison was selected as the 2024 Copeland Memorial Intern because she is deeply connected to CHRT’s mission to provide evidence-based recommendations to inform policy, facilitate the integration between health, mental health, and social service providers. She will focus on supporting work that resonates with Rebecca’s commitment to addressing and supporting key issues such as affordable care, medicaid policy, mental health, and substance abuse.
Rebecca Copeland worked as an intern with CHRT from 2019-2021 while she was a graduate student at the University of Michigan Schools of Public Health and Public Policy. Rebecca was dedicated to improving health and health systems for vulnerable populations. At CHRT, she brought enthusiasm and excellence to her work and was immediately identified as a highly capable analyst.
Ford School Recognizes 2024
Rebecca a. Copeland fellows
Shannon Gielow (MPP/MSW ‘26) and Ellie Bai (MPP/MPH ‘25) were chosen for their commitment to public service and focus on promoting health equality.
Shannon Gielow is pursuing a dual degree with Social Work. Her focus is on juvenile youth, and wants to "help disassemble the cycle of systemic involvement that many minorities and impoverished individuals are forced into." She has experience working in MSU's Adolescent Diversion program, an 18-week intervention program where she was assigned to a youth involved in the juvenile justice system, and also interned in Intensive Neglect Services within the Family Division Court in Lansing.
Ellie Bai is pursuing a dual degree with Public Health (Health Management and Policy). Her focus is on addressing the "gaps resulting from socioeconomic status across communities and countries." Her application outlines her experience navigating the healthcare system when she came to the U.S. as a teenager ("7 referrals, 4 hospitalizations, 2 surgeries, over 30 clinic bills, a 3-year gap from school, and 12 months of mental healing—all because of a 1-inch break on my cheekbone"). She's committed to health equity and believes that "health cannot be defined as a human right unless the gaps are responsibly identified, fulfilled, and protected."
The fellowship was established by the Copeland family in fall 2021 in memory of Rebecca Copeland (MPP/MPH ’21). Rebecca tragically lost her life just months after completing her dual master’s degrees at the University of Michigan and on the verge of beginning a career of tremendous impact in health policy. Rebecca was devoted to achieving health equity by improving health and health care for everyone through bold policy change and health system reform.
REmembering REbecca
STUDENT, TEACHER, COLLEAGUE, FRIEND
In her time at the University of Michigan, she had a profound impact on the people who knew her. The community that was touched by Rebecca stretches across states, the nation, and even international borders.
sCHOLARSHIP
SUPPORTING FUTURE LEADERS
The first grants $17,000 scholarships from the RAC Fund were awarded to two dual degree masters students at the University of Michigan in 2021. Both are pursuing dreams and objectives similar to Rebecca’s. Our hope is that Rebecca’s aspirations have inspired others to take bold action and pursue careers that impact our society. Together, we can build a community of well-educated, thoughtful individuals dedicated to improving the lives of many.
Bringing Change
The RAC Fund for Social Justice will work to support Rebecca A. Copeland’s dreams of improving health and health care for everyone through bold policy change and health system reform.
Officers
David Copeland
Elizabeth Copeland
Sarah Kozin
Jason Kozin
Jonathan Copeland
Mallory Copeland
Stay Updated
Sign up with your email address to receive news and announcements.