Jocelyn Brown

Education

Ph.D. in Gerontology from the University of Maryland Baltimore

M.A. in Applied Sociology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County

M.S. in Applied Psychology from the University of Baltimore

B.A. in Psychology from Shepherd University

Biography

Dr. Jocelyn Brown is an Assistant Professor of African American Studies at Ohio University with training in gerontology, applied sociology, and applied psychology. Originally from West Virginia, her scholarship centers Black Appalachian life across the life course. She has a particular focus on health disparities, structural racism, and the political-economic conditions shaping Black communities in Appalachia, the wider U.S., and the African diaspora.

Research Interests

Dr. Brown’s research bridges qualitative and community-engaged methods to document Black experiences often flattened or ignored in policy and institutional decision-making. Her current work includes an interview-based project examining Black alumni, staff, and faculty experiences of belonging, institutional betrayal, and legacy amid contemporary rollbacks of diversity initiatives in higher education. She also supports the recovery and analysis of community archives and oral history initiatives documenting African American presence in the Ohio River Valley and Appalachia. In addition, she is developing an interdisciplinary undergraduate Certificate in Health Disparities that equips students to analyze inequity across race, class, gender, geography, and policy.

Alongside academic work, Dr. Brown is writing a book-in-progress, Sourdough and Slavery, which explores bread, labor, race, and power through Black feminist analysis and Appalachian foodways. She is also the editor of Miscarriages for Black Girls, a diasporic collection centering Black girls’, women’s, and birthing people’s narratives of pregnancy loss through essays, poetry, and testimony.

Publications

Brown, Jocelyn, and Jocelyn L. Brown. 2025. Tech-Enabled Caregiving. In Aging in Place—Caregiver’s Edition. Washington, DC: NAPIC.

Brown, Jocelyn. 2025. "What Are 40 Acres and a Mule Worth in the 21st Century? A Rapid Review of Modern Reparative Initiatives to Address Socioeconomic and Health Inequality among Black Americans." Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-025-02513-7
 

Brown, Jocelyn. 2025. "From Jesus to Avocado Toast: Examining How Different Age Cohorts of Black Americans Cope under Racial Capitalism." Journal of African American Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-025-09689-6
 

Brown, Jocelyn. 2025. "‘It’s Enough to Make Someone...Lose Their Mind’: Exploring the Mental Impact of Racial Capitalism across the Black American Life Course." Journal of Ageing and Longevity. https://doi.org/10.3390/jal5010002
 

Brown, Jocelyn L. 2023. "Addressing Racial Capitalism’s Impact on Black Essential Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Policy Recommendations." Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 10 (4): 1597–1604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-022-01346-y
 

Davitt, Joan K., and Jocelyn Brown. 2022. "Using Voice- and Touchscreen-Controlled Smart Speakers to Protect Vulnerable Clients in Long-Term Care Facilities." Innovation in Aging 6 (4): igac024. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igac024
 

Davitt, Joan K., Jocelyn Brown, Peng Zhang, Elizabeth Barry-Dutro, and Gary Sesek. 2022. "Engaging in Continuous Quality Improvement to Enhance Adult Protective Services Intake and Screening: A Qualitative Analysis." Innovation in Aging 6 (Suppl. 1): 759. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igac059.2754
 

Courses Taught

• AAS 1060 – Introduction to African American Studies
• AAS 4693 – Legal Policy and Disparities in the American Health Care System
• HLTH – Long Term Care Administration
• AAS 3460 – Black Men and Masculinities
• AAS – The Black Woman