Aishah Scott, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of health sciences and of Black studies
EDUCATION: Ph.D., history, Stony Brook University. She received a master’s degree in 20th century American history and a bachelor’s degree in political science and Africana studies, also from Stony Brook. She was a postdoctoral fellow with the Center for African American Urban Studies and the Economy at Carnegie Mellon University.
BEGAN TEACHING AT PC: Fall 2021
EXPERTISE: History of race and medicine in the United States in the 20th century; long-term healthcare disparities in the HIV/AIDS crisis in the Black community
NEWSWORTHY: Scott has been interviewed about the state of Black health in America by media outlets including NPR and Marketplace, and has presented keynote addresses about racial health disparities and systemic inequalities that disproportionately impact the Black community. She was the featured speaker for a World AIDS Day event hosted by Emory University’s Centers for AIDS Research and Healthcare History and Policy. At PC, she cofounded a health equity speaker series with Sarah Ahmed, Ph.D., assistant professor of health policy and management and of women’s and gender studies, with funding from the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
CURRENT PROJECTS: Scott is under contract with Johns Hopkins University Press for her book project, “Respectability Can’t Save You: The AIDS Epidemic in Urban Black America.” Her work focuses on the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the African American community and the role of respectability politics, or moral policing, on state and community leaders from 1980-2010.
QUOTABLE: “History offers us a lens through which we can see the missteps of the past. This point is especially relevant when considering the intersections of the history of race and medicine that shaped racial health disparities that exist today. By acknowledging these truths, especially in the wake of crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, we have the power to confront inequities and build a future where healthcare serves all and not just some.”
ORIGINALLY FROM: Brooklyn, New York
HOBBIES: Trying new foods and restaurants, traveling, reading mystery novels, and spending time with family and friends.
— Martha Young
Have you ever had an educator who changed your life? At PC, those teachers are also researchers, mentors, and innovators. When you give through The Fund for Providence College, you support faculty like Dr. Scott — whose passion and scholarship shape not just classes, but futures.
