Carolyn P. Parks

Member Bio

Dr. Carolyn Parks is a community health education specialist with a passion for helping groups and communities to identify and solve their own health problems. Carol's community research and practice for almost 30 years has focused on the development, implementation and evaluation of grassroots health promotion and disease prevention strategies for African-Americans, disadvantaged and poor populations, and other groups of color. Her specific areas of expertise include: health promotion through African-American churches; community assets mapping; community-based public health research and practice; empowerment education; exploring the health impacts of the "strong Black woman" phenomenon; the development of culturally relevant health education materials, programs, and research instruments; barriers to health communication and health care services provision for groups of color and low socioeconomic populations; and HIV/AIDS interventions for women. In 2007, upon retiring from 19 years as a health education college professor, Carol joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta as a Behavioral Scientist in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. In addition to her academic and professional work, Carol has served as a board member for and consultant to numerous civic, community, health, and religious organizations, both locally and nationally. In 2012, Carol had the great opportunity to work in Nairobi, Kenya for four months with CDC-Kenya staff on the adaptation and packaging of U.S.-developed HIV prevention interventions for Kenyan audiences. In 2013, she traveled to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania to conduct trainings and to provide technical assistance to a group of indigenous women of faith on the CDC's intervention for HIV positive women. A native of South Philadelphia and descendant of five generations of preachers and pastors, Carol's singular life goal is to be a faithful ambassador of Jesus Christ and to model His principles in every aspect of life.