CPH 15 — Master Connector, Lived Experience, and Spectacular Nails: A Conversation with Dr. Nicole D. Vick
Release Date: 07/29/2025
CPH 42 — Strong Boundaries and Women’s Health in the Soft Life Era: A Conversation with Dr. Zupenda Davis
Courageous Public Health
In this episode, Dr. Zupenda Davis shares what it looks like to choose yourself — in your work, your relationships, and your health. From setting boundaries that protect her peace to speaking openly about women’s health and menopause, Dr. Davis brings a vision of public health that centers the whole person. This is a conversation about courage, freedom, and what becomes possible when women stop shrinking and start naming what they need. Meet Dr. Zupenda Davis Dr. Zupenda Davis is the Assistant Vice President of Student Health and Wellness at Stockton University, where she has strategic...
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CPH 41 — Pull Up a Chair: A Conversation with Indya Hairston
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In this episode of the Courageous Public Health Podcast, Indya Hairston—Johns Hopkins DrPH student, founder of Community Speaks Consulting, and advocate for Black women’s reproductive and maternal health—shares how courage defined her pivotal year of 2023. She talks about moving across the country for a fresh start, applying to only one doctoral program because it aligned with her purpose, quitting a stable nonprofit job to launch her consulting firm without guaranteed income, and choosing faith over fear at every step. Indya reflects on taking up space as a Black woman in environments...
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CPH 40 — Purpose, Possibility, and Black Men’s Health: A Conversation with Dr. Krista Mincey
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In this episode of the Courageous Public Health Podcast, Dr. Krista Mincey—public health professor, researcher on Black men’s health, and daughter and granddaughter of first-generation college students and rural Southern farmers—shares how courage has shaped both her life and her work. She talks about picking up and moving across states alone to say yes to opportunities that scared her, walking away from relationships that didn’t honor her worth even when it meant letting go of deeply held dreams, and learning when to stay quiet to survive a system and when to use her voice to protect...
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CPH 39 — Finding Your Happy and Your Health: A Conversation with Ashley Carter, MS, RD, LDN
Courageous Public Health
In this episode of the Courageous Public Health Podcast, Ashley Carter, MS, RD, LDN—registered dietitian, co-founder of Eat Well Exchange, and unapologetic foodie—shares how courage has shaped her path from youngest child to first in her family to leave home for college, and from secure government job to full-time nonprofit founder. She talks about building Eat Well Exchange to teach communities how to eat healthy with cultural foods that feel like home, and what it took to trust herself enough to “let the boats get close” and finally make the leap. Ashley also reflects on what it...
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CPH 38 — Courage in the Questions: A Conversation with Dr. Sandte Stanley
Courageous Public Health
In this episode of the Courageous Public Health Podcast, Dr. Sandte Stanley—public health scientist, sociologist, and founder of Atlas Collaborative Consulting Network—shares how courage has guided every step of her journey. She talks about discovering public health through an ACES internship, navigating personal loss during graduate school, and later earning a PhD in sociology so she could ask the structural questions that public health can sometimes overlook. She also reflects on how her identity as a Black and Native woman shapes her experience in professional spaces—where her...
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CPH 37 — What This Year Taught Me About Courage: A Solo Episode with Dr. Kristi McClamroch
Courageous Public Health
In this episode, as we wrap up 2025, Dr. McClamroch reflects on what this year’s conversations have revealed about courage in public health — and what that means for her work with women leaders and organizations. Because if this year taught her anything, it’s that courage isn’t optional anymore — it’s part of how we change the landscape of public health. Conversation Highlights Seeing Courage in Real Time — Dr. McClamroch reflects on the moment guests begin to recognize their own courage during interviews, and how that shift opens something powerful in them. The Patterns Behind...
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CPH 36 — From First-Gen to Trailblazer: A Conversation with Dr. Maram Museitif
Courageous Public Health
In this episode, Dr. Maram Museitif shares what it means to be a first-generation college graduate, a Palestinian American public health doctor, and the “empathy princess” in systems that weren’t built for her. She talks about fighting for the chance to go to college, becoming the first doctor in her family, and then watching her sister, niece, and cousins follow—turning one act of courage into generational change. She also speaks honestly about being a visibly Palestinian, hijab-wearing woman in predominantly white spaces—about being misjudged before she even speaks, even being...
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CPH 35 — Do It Scared: A Conversation with Dr. Bertha Hidalgo
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In this insightful and resonant conversation, Dr. Bertha Hidalgo—epidemiologist, associate dean, president-elect of the American College of Epidemiology, and multi-hyphenate creative—shares what it means to “do it scared.” She talks about building a fashion and lifestyle platform while hiding her identity, navigating academic spaces as a Latina scientist, and learning to step into courage even when her voice shakes. Dr. Hidalgo reflects on becoming a trusted public health communicator during COVID-19, bridging the gap between evidence and community, and redefining what it means...
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CPH 34 — From Breakdown to Breakthrough: A Conversation with Keylynne Matos-Cunningham, MPH, M Ed, LPC-A
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In this raw and deeply honest conversation, Keylynne Matos-Cunningham, MPH, M Ed, LPC-A—licensed trauma therapist, former public health professional, and dance-loving entrepreneur—shares how walking away from a “dream” racial justice/public health role became an act of survival. She traces her path from burnout, workplace trauma, and suicidal ideation to rebuilding her life as a trauma therapist, integrating EMDR and brainspotting, and reclaiming her lived experience as a clinical superpower. Along the way, she offers a sharp public health lens on racism, complex trauma,...
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CPH 33 — Boundaries, Belief, and Becoming: A Conversation with Dr. Janelle Taveras
Courageous Public Health
In this heartfelt and powerful episode, Dr. Janelle Taveras shares how courage, faith, and self-worth have shaped her journey as a public health professional, evaluator, empowerment coach, and mother. She speaks candidly about learning to honor her value in toxic systems, choosing boundaries over burnout, and embracing her full identity—rather than watering herself down to fit into spaces not built to receive her. Dr. Taveras also reflects on integrating her faith, her purpose, and her passion for uplifting others into a life that feels whole, aligned, and authentically hers. Before we jump...
info_outlineIn this dynamic and heartfelt conversation, my guest shares how courage, mentorship, and lived experience have shaped her personal and professional journey. From navigating college as a teen mom to challenging systems that fail to value Black women in public health, she reflects on what it means to act despite fear and to lead with authenticity and purpose.
She invites us into her world as a connector, mentor, and advocate—someone dedicated to empowering the next generation of public health leaders while pursuing her own bold vision for the future (which just might include a nail salon!). With humor and honesty, she reminds us that claiming our power and telling our stories can be acts of resistance and resilience.
Meet Dr. Nicole Vick
Dr. Nicole D. Vick is a public health professional, educator, civic leader, podcaster, and author who has spent over twenty years providing tools and strategies to stakeholders, community-based organizations, students, and residents to improve health and prevent disease in some of Southern California’s most underserved communities.
Her commitment to community has led to a few prestigious appointments. She serves on the boards of four public health/social service organizations and for two years chaired the Health Commission for the City of Los Angeles.
Dr. Vick has 15 years of teaching experience and enjoys bringing students the “Black Girl Magic” version of public health to students while providing them with a social justice lens to view the world. She has taught at Occidental College, California State University - Los Angeles, Ashford University, and University of Phoenix.
Dr. Vick has a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Management, a Master’s degree in Public Health, and a Doctorate degree in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, a place she lived less than 5 minutes away from growing up but felt beyond reach for a young girl from South Central LA.
Dr. Vick has authored two books and has written chapters for two anthologies. In her first book,
“Pushing Through: Finding the Light in Every Lesson” she shares both the heartbreaking pain and the extraordinary triumphs that led her to advocacy and social justice work.
Dr. Vick also has a weekly video podcast where she discusses critical issues in the Black community from a public health and social justice perspective.
Listen To This Episode of The Courageous Public Health Podcast
Conversation Highlights
- Teen Mom to Doctor — Dr. Nicole D. Vick shares how she stayed in school, earned multiple degrees, and raised her daughter while navigating barriers and bias.
- Courage in the Workplace — She describes the emotional toll of being passed over for promotions, and how she transformed that pain into the focus of her dissertation on psychological safety for Black public health workers.
- Mentorship as Leadership — Dr. Vick reflects on the power of mentorship, paying forward the wisdom of those who led with generosity and vision.
- The Power of Lived Experience — She advocates for centering people who bring both lived and academic expertise to public health, emphasizing that their insights are essential for creating meaningful change.
- A Joyful Vision — Dr. Vick shares her plans for consulting, teaching, writing—and maybe opening a nail salon where community, creativity, and public health still shine.
"We have the secret sauce—our lived experience, our academic expertise, and our work in the field. Use us." — Dr. Nicole D. Vick
Stay In Touch:
Dr. Nicole D. Nick on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-d-vick/
Dr. Nicole D. Vick on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nicoledvick/
Dr. Kristi McClamroch on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-mcclamroch/
www.CourageousPublicHealth.com
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