MSN, RN , Doctoral (Current)
Rashida Charles is a fourth-year PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Clinical Nurse Leadership from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and a bachelor’s degree in religion and public health from Rutgers University. Her research, clinical practice, and teaching philosophy are centered on inclusion, diversity, and health equity.
Throughout her nursing career, Ms. Charles has been committed to improving the health and well-being of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds in both home and hospital settings. Currently, her research focuses on how depression, the built environment, and racism influence the physical activity behaviors of Black millennial-aged men in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Her passion for health equity is personal, shaped by her experience as a first-generation Haitian American who grew up in underserved communities. This connection drives her commitment to the populations she serves and informs her research, which she hopes will lead to meaningful, lasting changes that enhance the quality of life for minoritized individuals.