Brenda Nickol, MPH

Director of Career Services

University of Nebraska Medical Center
College of Public Health

Professional Summary

Brenda Nickol joined the College of Public health in 2012 as the first Director of Career Services. Ms. Nickol has worked in the field of public health since 1999, in a number of topical areas including maternal and child health, health equity, HIV prevention, health impact assessment, global health, qualitative research and healthcare preparedness. Ms. Nickol has local public health experience, as a community health outreach worker for a local health department and as the outreach coordinator for an HIV/AIDS community based organization. Prior to joining the College of Public Health, Ms. Nickol worked at the Nebraska primary care association, delivering training and technical assistance to the state’s community health centers. Ms. Nickol also has experience at the national level, as a fellow with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s Public Health Prevention Service (PHPS) and as a coordinator at CityMatCH, a national training organization focused on urban maternal and child health leadership. The combination of these public health experiences at multiple levels has prepared Ms. Nickol well for advising College of Public Health students and alumni on their career development.

Education

• Master of Public Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, 2005
• Bachelor of Arts, Western Washington University, 2001

Professional Interests

Ms. Nickol’s passion for public health was sparked when designing an HIV education curriculum in Zimbabwe in 1999. That experience led her to pursue an MPH in global health, and conduct several research projects in Mexico. These experiences have provided a foundation for her on-going community-focused health equity work.

Selected Publications

• Brenda Thompson, et al. Needlestick Injuries among Sanitation Workers in Mexico City. Pan American Journal of Public Health, 27(6), 2010: 467-468.
• Brenda K. Thompson, MPH, Magda Peck, Sc.D., Kathleen T. Brandert, MPH, C.H.E.S. Integrating Preconception Health into Public Health Practice: A Tale of Three Cities. Journal of Women's Health, June, 2008, 17(5): 723-727.
• Jennifer S. Hirsch, PhD, Sergio Meneses, MD, MA, Brenda Thompson, MPH, Mirka Negroni, MA, Blanca Pelcastre, PhD, Carlos del Rio, MD.  The Inevitability of Infidelity: Love, Gender Inequality, and the Social Organization of Marital HIV Risk in Rural Mexico.  American Journal of Public Health, June, 2007.

Professional Affiliations

• Nebraska Minority Health Council, NE DHHS
• Nebraska Partners N Health (State Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity) Advisory Council
• Public Health Association of Nebraska
• National Association of Colleges