Wanda Martin Burton: Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor

Education

  • Ph.D., Health Education & Health Promotion, The University of Alabama, 2017
  • MS, Human Development & Family Studies, The University of Alabama, 2012
  • BA, Psychology, The University of Alabama, 2003

Biography

Dr. Burton received a bachelor’s degree in 2003 and a Master of Science in 2012. Dr. Burton has over ten years of experience in the community on a range of public health issues including gender violence, poverty, and disability rights. Dr. Burton has worked with children and families across the state of Alabama on prevention education and increasing access to resources and services. She completed a PhD in Health Education and Health Promotion in 2017. Dr. Burton has multiple years of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) experience in higher education including serving as the Director of Inclusivity for two years.

Dr. Burton’s primary research interest is mental health with a focus on health equity. More broadly, Dr. Burton investigates the impact of structural and social determinants of health in minoritized communities. She has investigated racial health disparities in low birthweight and mental health, gender violence on college campuses, and inequities facing the LGBTQ+ communities. She has co-authored papers in the Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, American Journal of Health Education, and Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning.

As an assistant professor in the Capstone College of Nursing (CCN), Dr. Burton teaches in the Graduate Programs. Her primary teaching assignments have been focused on population health and health policy. Prior to joining CCN, Dr. Burton taught for approximately ten years including teaching undergraduate and graduate public health students at The University of Alabama.

Areas of Interest

  • Mental Health
  • Social Determinants of Health & Health Disparities
  • Nursing Education & Professional Development
  • Women’s Health

Scholarly Highlights

  • Building and sustaining a robust program of research as an early career scientist
  • Research: Gendered racial microaggressions and Black college women: A Cross-sectional study of depression & psychological distress
  • Research: Addressing the racial disparity in birth outcomes: Implications for maternal racial identity on birthweight
  • Research: A Systematic review of culturally-tailored obesity interventions among African American adults
  • Experienced in qualitative, mixed-methods, and quantitative research approaches