Under The Skin, Above The Pavement: Urban Ecology, Embodied Masculinity, and the Science of Risk - Paperback

Nelson, Carlin D.: - Carlin Dexter Nelson, PhD, MPH, CPH, CHES(R), is an epidemiologist, public health educator and scholar committed to examining how systems of inequality shape health across urban communities. He is Certified in Public Health (CPH) and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), combining rigorous epidemiological methods with culturally grounded health promotion. He holds an Associate of Science (AAS) from Trident Technical College (TTC), a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Public Health with a minor in Sociology from the College of Charleston (CofC), a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), where he was an Interprofessional Education Fellow, and a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health-Epidemiology from Walden University. Currently, Dr. Nelson teaches in the Department of Health Sciences at Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he leads courses in epidemiology, health statistics and research, health promotion, drug education, and urban health. His previous professional experience includes roles at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Truth Initiative, Johns Hopkins University, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), College of Charleston, as well as a translational research fellow at Nemours Children's Hospital. His research has been published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, the International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, the Association of Black Nursing Faculty Foundation Journal (ABNFFJ), and the Social Science Research Network (SSRN). Across these outlets, his work examines social determinants of health (SDOH), racial and gender disparities, and community-driven public health strategies. A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Dr. Nelson grew up in Title I schools and a subsidized, single-parent household with experiences that fuel his passion for community-rooted scholarship. A proud TRiO Upward Bound alum who later returned as a mentor and administrator, has spent over five years mentoring first-generation and underserved students through TRiO and the NIH STEP-UP program. Dr. Nelson is driven by the belief that our present circumstances do not define our future. Through teaching, research, and writing, he continues to show up for the next generation of public health leaders, reminding them that someone, somewhere, at some point in time is counting on them to rise.