Rate My Professor Nina Cleveland

Nina Cleveland serves as an assistant professor of health science and chair of the Health Sciences Department in the School of Health Sciences at Georgia Gwinnett College, a position she has held since 2021. With a robust background in public health and emergency management, she previously served as Emergency Preparedness and Response Director at District 10 Public Health, where she managed responses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier roles include Associate Director of Emergency and Security Studies at Tulane University, Practice Coordinator for the MPH program at the University of Georgia College of Public Health, positions in the North Health District in Gainesville, Georgia, and Quarantine and Border Health Services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cleveland earned her PhD in Health Promotion and Behavior, an MPH, and a BSW from the University of Georgia, complemented by a nursing diploma.

At Georgia Gwinnett College, Cleveland has led the development of the Bachelor of Science in Health Science program, with a particular emphasis on the Patient Navigation concentration—one of only three such baccalaureate programs in the nation. The program, which shares prerequisite coursework with nursing in the first two years, equips students to guide patients through screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, addressing barriers related to communication, appointments, finances, and social support. The first cohort graduated in 2023, meeting the growing demand for patient-centered care professionals who improve health outcomes for individuals with chronic or complex conditions. Her expertise encompasses emergency preparedness, community resilience, wastewater-based epidemiology, nerve agent and radiological first response, and individual and community preparedness. Cleveland has secured funding through grants including the HRSA-funded Regional Trauma Advisory Committee grant, NACCHO Capacity Building and Challenge Awards, and seed grants. She holds memberships in the Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society and the Order of the Sword and Shield Emergency Management and Homeland Security Honor Society. Additionally, she has taught Introduction to Public Health and Disaster Management and developed the Emergency Management Master’s program at Tulane School of Professional Advancement.