Charity Watkins

Contributing Faculty
College of Social and Behavioral Health
Barbara Solomon School of Social Work
Master of Social Work (MSW)

Dr. Charity S. Watkins earned her BA in Sociology, Masters in Social Work (MSW), and Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Watkins first joined academia as a tenure-track assistant professor of social work in 2018 while serving as a school social worker and completing her dissertation focused on promotive parenting factors for academic resilience among socioeconomically marginalized Black children.

Dr. Watkins has 8 years of experience teaching both undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of social work and criminal justice. The courses she most enjoy teaching are human behavior in the social environment, research, introduction to direct practice, and confronting oppression. Dr. Watkins uses creative strategies to engage all students in learning including multimedia, social media, small and large group discussions, and experiential activities. She loves to bring some comedy to the e-classroom and to develop positive relationships with students.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Watkins is also very active in research. Her current research focuses on the mechanisms through which institutional racism impact the wellbeing of Black Americans, especially the effects of racial and socioeconomic inequities on the physical and mental health of Black women. Following her own diagnosis, Dr. Watkins aimed to examine racial disparities in maternal morbidity with particular attention to pregnancy-related cardiovascular disease and the socioemotional effects on Black women and parent-child relationships.

Outside of work, Dr. Watkins enjoys taking long walks with her pitty, Storm, listening to music, dancing, helping her daughter with gymnastics, and watching movies with her family.

Education

PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

MSW, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

BA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill