About
Millicent N. Robinson, PhD, MSW, MPH is an interdisciplinary scholar, consultant, and certified practitioner of Reiki Therapy, which is an evidence-based practice used to reduce stress and promote healing and well-being. Her research centers the stress, coping, health, and healing experiences of Black women. She earned her PhD in Community Health Sciences from the Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA, where she minored in Sociology. Dr. Robinson is also a “Triple Tar Heel”, having earned her B.A. in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill, her MSW from the UNC School of Social Work, and MPH from the Gillings School of Global Public Health. She has returned to the UNC School of Social Work as a Postdoctoral Fellow through the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity.
Overall, Dr. Robinson’s program of research investigates the life course biopsychosocial mechanisms that distinguish mental and physical health risk among Black women. To address this, her research agenda integrates theories and perspectives from Social Work, Public Health, African, African American, and Diaspora Studies, and Medical Sociology to address four key issues: (1) interconnections between mental and physical health, (2) culturally-relevant forms of coping, (3) complementary and alternative medicine, and (4) ethnic heterogeneity among Black women.
Dr. Robinson’s long-term career goal is to be a scholar and practitioner whose research provides a comprehensive framework that identifies the pathways through which social stress exposure, coping, and healing processes shape health among ethnically diverse Black women. Her trajectory as a scholar has been profoundly shaped and enriched through training and opportunities with the UNC Center for Health Equity Research, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, and the UCLA Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice, & Health.
Academic Training:
BA, Psychology (with distinction), 2015.
Minor(s): Afro and African American Studies; Spanish for the (Medical) Professions
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
MSW, Community Management and Policy Practice, 2017.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work.
MPH, Maternal and Child Health, 2017.
Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
PhD, Community Health Sciences, 2022.
Minor: Sociology
Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 2022-Present.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work. Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity,
Research Training & Fellowships:
Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program (2013-2015)
Participated in this fellowship program as an undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill. This federally-funded TRiO fellowship program is named for Dr. Ronald E. McNair. The goal of this program is to provide research support, funding, and training to historically under-represented/low-income groups who aim to earn a Ph.D. My specific project focused on assessing barriers and facilitators to mental health service use among Black American women. This work was completed under the mentorship of Dr. Cheryl Woods-Giscombé.
Frances L. Phillips Travel Scholarship (Summer 2015)
Awarded this scholarship for students to engage in self-designed and directed international experiences. My specific research project focused on exploring the historical contributions of the Black Moors to architecture and society. I traveled to Spain, the UK, and France.
Leadership in Public Health Social Work Education Fellowship (2016-2017)
Awarded this fellowship as a dual-degree MSW-MPH student. The purpose of this fellowship program is to provide training and education to prepare dual-degree students for leadership roles in public health social work.
Public Health Social Work Intern: RWJF Clinical Scholars Program (Summer 2017)
Served as an intern for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars program (housed at the UNC Center for Health Equity Research). In this role, I completed thorough qualitative research (one-on-one interviews) and analysis focused on Maternal and Child Health providers’ experiences and perceptions of pressing health concerns for their population of interest. Additionally, I developed an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion matrix based on a literature review of articles and other tools that included resources, activities, and organizations that practice EDI work from an organizational perspective. This internship was completed with the support and guidance of Melissa A. Green and Dr. Giselle Corbie-Smith.
Minority Training Program in Cancer Control Research (MTPCCR) (Summer 2017)
MTPCCR’s purpose is to increase ethnic diversity in the field of cancer disparities research by encouraging minority master’s students and master’s level health professionals in public health and social/behavioral sciences to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in research.
UCLA Competitive Edge Summer Bridge Program (Summer 2018)
Competitive Edge is six weeks of full-time, faculty-guided research and mentoring, as well as academic and professional workshops. The program is designed for entering doctoral students in STEM, and social sciences with a strong interest in pursuing a faculty or research position.
Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program (GSRM) (Summer 2020)
The GSRM Program is designed to provide financial support to UCLA doctoral students for them to work closely with a faculty mentor in developing a paper for presentation at an academic conference, and/or for publication.
MCUAAAR and PRBA Summer Mentoring Workshop for Advanced Doctoral Students (Summer 2021)
This workshop emphasizes training in numerous areas including: 1) publishing in peer review journals, 2) writing grant proposals to the NIH, 3) the tenure process, 4) ethical conduct of research, 5) successful mentoring and collaborative relationships, and, most importantly, 6) how to navigate the academy. The primary objectives are on research skill enhancement, career mentoring, and professional development.