College of Nursing Doctoral Student Advances Maternal Health Research and Promotes Health Equity

Alicia M. Logan, a graduate student in Auburn University College of Nursing's (AUCON) inaugural DNP to PhD cohort, is conducting research related to health equity. Since starting her doctoral studies in August 2023, she has emerged as a leading voice in maternal-child health research. Logan's academic work demonstrates the potential impact of doctoral education on both individual careers and broader disciplines. Her research addresses healthcare providers' approaches to supporting human milk feeding decisions in African American families, with an aim to improve maternal and infant health outcomes in Alabama and other regions.

Logan’s research examines maternal child health outcomes, focusing on human milk feeding and lactation practices and decision-making beliefs among women of color. Her research titled "Lactation Legacies: From Historical Trauma to Health Equity Through Instruments, Inheritance, and Intersectionality in African American Human Milk Feeding," examines how generational experiences and cultural factors may affect infant feeding decisions in communities with histories of healthcare disparities. A systematic review on human milk feeding measurement tools, co-authored with College of Nursing faculty members Chin-Yen Lin and Katilya Ware, was accepted by the Journal of Nursing Measurement, while an analysis of multi-level governmental strategies, co-authored with Katilya Ware, was published in PHILLIS: The Journal for Research on African American Women.

Logan’s inspiration to focus her research on human milk feeding practices among African American women stems from a deeply personal journey that began when she was preparing to become a mother. She encountered unexpected resistance from her own mother, who questioned why she would want to engage with the practice, citing physiological, relationship, and even mental health reasons to abstain. A conversation with her paternal grandmother shed light on a painful aspect of history. “It is really because of my Granny Carolyn Caroline Sharper that my engagement and passion for this work grew into what it has transformed into my research at AUCON,” stated Logan.

During American enslavement, African American women were forced to prioritize feeding white infants over their own children, creating what Logan calls “lactation trauma” that has been transmitted through generations as matrilineal legacies. This historical exploitation transformed what should be an empowering maternal experience into one associated with subjugation and loss.

“The intersection of historical trauma, generational knowledge transfer, and contemporary health disparities became my driving force,” Logan said. “As a doctoral student, I'm exploring how educational attainment, sorority membership, and generational legacies influence these practices, because understanding these connections is crucial for breaking cycles of disparity and empowering African American women to make informed infant feeding choices free from the shadows of historical trauma,” Logan added.

Her research spans nursing science, public health, and community engagement, focusing on human milk feeding knowledge and attitudes in underrepresented groups, highlighting her rising leadership in health equity. Her 2025 induction into The Links, Incorporated, reflects her dedication to advancing African American communities through impactful programs in health, education, and civic engagement.

While pursuing her doctoral studies, Logan works as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at AUCON and concurrently holds a position as Assistant Professor at the University of Montevallo, where she teaches core nursing courses, mentors students, and serves as curriculum champion for AACN Essentials. She also tutors SEC athletes in nutrition, biology, kinesiology, and nursing. Her background includes clinical nursing experience, expertise in informatics (with a DNP in Informatics & Analytics), and engagement with rural and underserved communities, which informs her research and teaching.

Since entering the PhD program, she has received many awards, including the Innovation in Human Lactation Award from North Carolina A&T University, the University of Alabama College of Education Outstanding Alumni Award (Top Alumni Under 40), the Dawson Family Leader Award, and the United Health Foundations Fellowship. Most recently, she secured a mini grant through the National Black Nurses Association chapter grants program for a project on vaccine awareness and addressing vaccine hesitancy in rural African American communities.

She was selected as a member of Cohort 3 for the NIH All of Us Research Program Initiative through Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and joined the DREF (Delta Research and Education Foundation) 22 Researchers Working Group. Logan also received the Alabama League of Nursing Scholarship for academic performance and research potential. “These connections have also taught me the importance of reciprocal relationships and leveraging my platform using my community connections,” she added. “My research informs these organizations' health initiatives, while their community wisdom shapes my research questions and cultural sensitivity practices. This bi-directional flow ensures my work remains grounded in community needs while contributing to national health equity conversations.”

An accomplished speaker, Logan has given several presentations at regional and national conferences during her PhD program, addressing topics like lactation equity, health policy, and innovation in nursing education. Her work has reached audiences at organizations such as the National Black Nurses Association, the American Public Health Association, Tuskegee University, Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Alabama League for Nursing, Alabama’s Sigma chapter, and the Alabama State Nurses Association.

“Logan represents the caliber of scholar anticipated at the inception of our PhD program," said Katilya Ware, her dissertation chair. "Her research addresses significant gaps in maternal-child health literature by focusing on the perspectives and experiences of historically underrepresented populations.”