Sharon Haywood Gillard

Advisor: Dr. Nicole Peterson

Education: Sharon earned her MA/MPH in March 2025 with a project entitled, “Mental Health Stigma Disparities: Cultural Identities and Cultural Values with Black Women,” working with the Madie M. Smith Women’s Health Equity Institute (WHEI) as a community partner. Sharon is currently a PhD student in the program of Law and Policy at Northeastern University.

Awarded the UNC Charlotte 2026 Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award for the Category of Non-Traditional Thesis or Project.

Research Interests:

Environmental anthropology concerning waste

Current research:

My specific area of study is regarding how societies can be constructed by waste and about the boundaries created in the process.