Dr. Ellissa Brooks Nelson

Dr. Ellissa Brooks Nelson has over 15 years of experience evaluating programs and she has extensive experience in strategic planning and educational research. Dr. Brooks Nelson has worked in local government, higher and secondary education, and non-profit sectors. Prior to joining UNC Charlotte, Dr. Brooks Nelson held several research and evaluation positions. She was a Strategic Planning and Evaluation Analyst within the County Manager’s Office at Mecklenburg County Government, Senior Research Analyst within the Office of Accountability at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), and Research Associate at the UNC Charlotte Institute for Social Capital.

Dr. Brooks Nelson has led large research projects aimed toward impacting children and families living within the community. While working as a Senior Research Analyst at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, she led the development of CMS’ Early Warning Indicators System which identifies students at-risk of not graduating on-time. Her dissertation research was focused on developing a typology of student homelessness to better identify and allocate resources to and promote better outcomes for students experiencing homelessness.  Dr. Brooks Nelson has published articles on program evaluations related to children and families and student health. She is actively involved in multiple professional organizations. Dr. Brooks Nelson received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Appalachian State University, her master’s degree in Counseling from UNC Charlotte, and her Ph.D. in Health Services Research from UNC Charlotte.