CPH 17 — Courage in Grief, Power in Presence, Strength in Family: A Conversation with Dr. Nandi Marshall

Courageous Public Health

In this powerful and deeply grounded conversation, Dr. Nandi Marshall reflects on how grief, authenticity, and courage have shaped her leadership and life. From running for APHA President while mourning the loss of her father, to resisting pressure to censor public health language, she shares what it means to lead with heart—and to keep showing up, even in the hard moments.

Dr. Marshall invites us into her world as a mother, sister, and advocate—someone who takes up space with joy and integrity, while modeling what it looks like to center both community and self. With clarity and conviction, she reminds us that courage isn’t always loud—sometimes, it’s choosing joy, protecting your peace, and standing firm in your truth.

Meet Dr. Nandi Marshall

Dr. Nandi A. Marshall is a community-engaged scholar committed to maternal and child health equity and preparing the next generation of the public health workforce. She is a Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Community Health and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University. Dr. Marshall holds a BA from Spelman College, an MPH from East Stroudsburg University, and a DrPH from Georgia Southern University. Dr. Marshall is also a certified health education specialist, a certified lactation counselor, and a certified diversity executive.

Dr. Marshall has over 22 years of community engagement experience at the local, state, and national levels, particularly around health inequities. These experiences, along with her completion of the Health Equity Leadership Institute (HELI), the Birth and Breastfeeding Leadership Institute, and the Georgia Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program, have fueled her commitment to addressing the social determinants of health through community engagement, breastfeeding equity, and preparing students to address public health challenges through a health equity lens.

Dr. Marshall is compassionate, creative, and solution-driven with experience that has transformed her leadership in the public health and first foods field. She is President-Elect for the American Public Health Association (APHA), where she has also served as the Chair of the Science Board and Co-Chair for the Joint Policy Committee. Dr. Marshall has also served as the Education and Training Co-Lead for the Georgia Society for Public Health Education and as a Co-Chair of the Student and New Professional Caucus for the Society for Public Health Education where she currently serves on the membership committee. She also serves as a member of the CRASH committee for the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), which focuses on equity issues in breastfeeding, the USBC nominations committee, and previously as an APHA member representative for USBC. She is also a board member of the Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition. Dr. Marshall is also a member of the Bulloch County Board of Health, the Mayor’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion (One Boro) in Statesboro, GA, the Racial Equity and Leadership (REAL) Savannah Taskforce, and the Savannah - Ghana Alliance.

As a community engaged scholar, Dr. Marshall has been involved in securing grants as a PI, Co-PI, and contributor in community-based programming and participatory research, including a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018-present) Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant, Savannah H.O.P.E., on which she is a contributor leading the breastfeeding continuity of care initiative and a grant from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health (2019-2023) on which she is the PI to implement evidence-based programming in a Chatham County high school to prevent opioid use. Most recently, Dr.

Marshall secured $3.25 Million in funding to assist disadvantaged students with financing their graduate public health degrees. Dr. Marshall has published book chapters, handbooks, and peer-reviewed manuscripts, including a 2023 release focused on amplifying the voices of Black/African American Women regarding barriers to breastfeeding. She also received the 2021 Healthy Savannah Health Innovation Award based on the photovoice project highlighted in the aforementioned article. She is a nationally recognized and invited speaker and is committed to equity, service, and advocacy.

Dr. Marshall is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a devoted wife and mother of two children.

Listen To This Episode of The Courageous Public Health Podcast

Conversation Highlights

• Fear and the Presidency — Dr. Nandi Marshall shares how she nearly didn’t run for APHA President—and how a single conversation with her sister helped her move through fear and say yes to her calling.
• Turning 40, Centering Self — She reflects on the powerful shift that came with turning 40, learning to prioritize her own joy, rest, and boundaries after a lifetime of people-pleasing.
• Grief and Joy Can Coexist — In the aftermath of her father’s death, Dr. Marshall opens up about navigating profound grief while still making space for joy, laughter, and healing.
• Courage in the Classroom — She describes her stand against premature censorship in Georgia and why she refuses to rewrite public health language before a mandate requires it.
• Locs, Nails, and Radical Visibility — From neon French manicures to her nose piercing and locs, Dr. Marshall explains why showing up fully as herself is an act of courage—and a model for her students.
• Beyond BIPOC — She challenges the term “BIPOC” for centering whiteness and urges public health leaders to name and engage specific communities with care and precision.
• The Power of One — Inspired by her father’s belief in individual impact, she encourages listeners to speak up, act locally, and support others in using their voices for change.
• A Family-Centered Future — Dr. Marshall’s personal vision is grounded in love, growth, and staying connected to her family as they evolve together.

“I don’t introduce myself by saying I’m Black or a woman. I just show up as me—and that says everything.”— Dr. Nandi Marshall

Stay In Touch:

Dr. Nandi Marshall on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandimarshall/

Email Dr. Kristi McClamroch - [email protected]

Dr. Kristi McClamroch on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-mcclamroch/

www.CourageousPublicHealth.com

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At Courageous Public Health, we are turning up the volume on courage within women, particularly Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color who are doing the work of public health. We support public health organizations through workshop design and facilitation, and speaking engagements. Interested in working with us? Reach out on email, LinkedIn, or our website!