Stepheria Hodge Nicholson

Background

Stepheria Hodge Nicholson is a healthcare lecturer in the Broadwell College of Business and Economics at Fayetteville State University, where she teaches in the accounting, finance, healthcare administration and information systems and business analytics programs. She earned a Master of Public Health with a concentration in maternal and child health from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in public health from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare research and public health practice, Nicholson has served at the federal, state and local levels, including with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the Cumberland County Department of Public Health. Throughout her career, she has contributed to numerous community‑based participatory research initiatives, including Project F.U.N., Project G.R.A.C.E., Project M.A.N., W.I.M.N.N. and Generations.

Beyond the classroom, Nicholson serves as Pastor of Temple Salvation Deliverance Church of North Carolina. She is a devoted wife and mother whose passion is empowering youth, strengthening women and serving communities through faith, education and leadership. She enjoys baking, cooking, gardening, painting, crocheting and spending time with her family.

Years of witnessing maternal health disparities, rising obesity rates, food insecurity, youth mental health challenges and the lasting effects of COVID‑19, gaming and social isolation on families and the healthcare workforce have shaped her commitment to improving healthcare systems. These experiences inspired her pursuit of a Doctor of Business Administration, where she seeks to bridge research, leadership and business strategy to develop practical, systems‑level solutions that improve healthcare organizations and the communities they serve. Her goal is to contribute to strategic decision‑making that drives meaningful and lasting change across healthcare institutions.

Research Interest

Nicholson’s research interests lie at the intersection of healthcare workforce development, population health, vulnerable and underserved communities, organizational trust, leadership, strategic communication and the ethical integration of automation and artificial intelligence in healthcare. She is particularly interested in how leadership strategies, workforce systems and emerging technologies influence consumer trust, organizational effectiveness and equitable healthcare delivery in a post‑pandemic environment.