Nicole Stewart, Ph.D.Brittany Nicole Stewart will become Brittany Nicole Stewart, Ph.D., when she walks across the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s commencement stage Dec. 10 at the Alys Stephens Center. At graduation, Stewart will carry an inspirational journey and legacy along with her doctoral degree in medical sociology from the College of Arts and Sciences.
A first-generation college student from Oak Grove, Alabama, Stewart grew up without a roadmap for higher education.
“I didn’t have anyone in my immediate family who had graduated from college,” Stewart said. “I relied on teachers and mentors who believed in me and pushed me to reach for more. My mother was a constant source of encouragement, always telling me I was smart and capable. Even when neither of us really understood what something in the application was, we sat down together and figured it out.”
As a child, Stewart did not know which career she wanted; but growing up a devout person, she knew community service was her calling.
Wanting to help others, Stewart stepped into her college career pursuing a degree in human environmental sciences with a concentration in early childhood development and a minor in social welfare. She was on a Pell Grant and worked at least 20 hours a week throughout her degree. Stewart graduated early, thanks to dual enrollment credits, and moved to New Orleans.
Stewart joined UAB Hospital as a social worker in the Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after moving to Alabama.In New Orleans, Stewart pursued a master’s degree in Christian education at a seminary before relocating to Mississippi. There, she worked in child protection services and as a school social worker, while pursuing a Master of Social Work degree. Her experience earning a social work degree ignited her interest in pursuing a doctorate and teaching with real-world insights.
“When I was getting a social work degree, I had a professor who had a Ph.D. but little to no field experience,” Stewart said. “She was teaching a room full of child protection social workers who may have been up until 1 a.m. finding placements for kids. It made me think, ‘If I ever teach, I want to know what it’s really like in the trenches.’ That moment changed everything for me.”
When she relocated to Alabama, Stewart joined UAB Hospital as a social worker in the Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a role that exposed her to a new, complex world of medical social work. She saw being a UAB employee as the perfect opportunity to pursue her dream of earning a Ph.D., thanks to the employee educational assistance benefit that fully covers tuition and is designed to encourage advancement and excellence among employees.
Stewart enrolled in the medical sociology doctoral program and earned her third master’s degree in sociology through this path.
Working in the RNICU shaped her dissertation research, which explores provider perspectives and terminology in neonatal care.
“I wanted to explore beyond these provider beliefs of ‘wimpy white boy syndrome’ and ‘strong black girl,’” Stewart said. “I explored questions, such as: Where did these beliefs come from? Is it perpetuated across the United States? Does it influence care? While my research only provided a beginning glimpse into these beliefs, I hope my work opens the door for further research in the RNICU regarding these beliefs and their possible impact on care.”
Stewart stood out to Mieke Beth Thomeer, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Sociology and Stewart’s thesis chair, for how her social work background motivated her unique research interests.
Stewart's support system– her husband and her daughter are proud of her. “She didn’t just follow a typical graduate student path — she created one, finding an important topic related to NICU outcomes and building our understanding of this topic from the ground up with original data, all while working full time at UAB. That kind of innovation is rare, and I’m thrilled to see her take that same energy into her new role after graduation,” Thomeer said.
Balancing a full-time job, an in-person Ph.D. program and family life was no small feat. Stewart credits her husband and young daughter for their unwavering support.
“My husband picked up the slack at home, and I protected evenings for my daughter,” she said. “It took intentionality and a lot of grace.”
Stewart’s academic journey has been marked by faith and determination. That faith will guide her next chapter as an assistant professor of social work at Houston Christian University, where she hopes to inspire the next generation of social workers.
For Stewart, education is a legacy.
“I want my daughter to know she can do anything,” she said. “I want to be the example that she can conquer the world.”