Mollie Nelson
Graduate education
• PhD, Sociology of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK, School of Healthcare Studies. Dec 2009.
Dissertation: “The Inner Work of San Marcos: A Study on the Relationship between Alternative and Traditional Medicine in the Context of Globalization, Tourism and Social Change.”
Advisors: Dr Phil Tovey and Professor Andrew Long
• Masters of Science in Ethnobotany (Distinction), University of Kent, Canterbury, UK, Department of Anthropology and the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. Sept 2004.
Masters thesis “From Red Yurts to Capital Girls: Contextualizing the Use of Herbal Medicine and Re-emerging Medical Pluralism in Urban Kyrgyzstan.”
• Anthropology/ Ethnobotany coursework University California Berkeley. 2000-2002.
Teaching Experience
• Lecturer 2010 - current
Austin Community College. Austin, TX
Adjunct faculty member in the Department of Allied Health Sciences. Responsible for teaching medical terminology to students in various professional health programs.
• Visiting Lecturer 2004
National University Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Taught English communications and media analysis to first-year students.
• English Communications Teacher 1997
Jinan University, Guangzhou, Peoples Republic of China
Developed and taught English language program for adult education students
Professional work experience
• Research Scientist 2005-2009
University of Leeds, School of healthcare. Leeds, UK
Responsible for research proposal, strategic field site location, organization and planning of an international ethnographic study. Extensive experience utilizing qualitative research methods in English and Spanish. Experience in organizing, analyzing and documenting large quantities of raw data using various qualitative methodologies and software packages.
• Peer counselor 2007-2008
East Austin WIC Clinic. Austin, TX
Provided education and support in nutrition and breastfeeding
• Emergency Room Charge Nurse 2002-2003
Captain in the US Air Force; Travis Air Force Base, CA.
Advanced medical and management qualifications:
BLS, ACLS, PALS, TNCC, staff education coordination, student and staff preceptor.
Additional military credentials:
Team leader for the Rapid Response Medical Unit responsible for the preparations and rapid deployment of an elite critical care unit to national crises.
Wartime deployment experience setting up and operating mobile trauma unit.
• Medical Oncology Charge Nurse 1999-2002
2nd-1st Lieutenant US Air Force; Travis Air Force Base, CA.
Advanced medical certificates:
Chemotherapy administration, unit infection control and disaster coordination.
• Public Health Nursing Internship 1999
Wyandotte County Health Department, Kansas City KS.
Nurse-run, low-income Sexual Transmitted Disease and Tuberculosis/Epidemiology clinic with additional experiences in refugee health exams and immunizations.
Grants, scholarships and awards
• School of Healthcare PhD studentship, University of Leeds. 2005-2008
• Society of Latin American Studies graduate student grant, University of Leeds. 2006
• Global Diversity Foundation travel grant, University of Kent. 2004
• Northern Studies Centre ‘Sustainability, Biodiversity and Knowledge in the Circumpolar Regions Seminar Series’ grant, University of Aberdeen. 2003
• Reserve Officers Training Corps Scholarship, University of Kansas. 1994-1999
• Multiple US Air Force academic, commendation, achievement and foreign service medals
Professional Publications
• ‘The in-situ use and repercussions of traditional Mayan medicine by foreign tourists in Guatemala.’ Upcoming presentation at the International Congress of Ethnobiology. May 2010.
• ‘Traditional Medicine and Cultural Identities’ Presented at the PhD Seminar Series, School of Healthcare, University of Leeds. January 2006
• ‘From Red Yurts to Capital Girls: Reconstructing and Contextualizing the use of Herbal Medicine in Urban Kyrgyzstan’ Presented at the World Congress: International Forum for Health and Social Sciences. Yeditepe, Turkey. August 2005
• International Society for Ethnobiology Ninth International Congress, Student representative and IT assistant, University of Kent. June 2004
• ‘Herbal Medicine as a Post-Soviet Health Strategy in Kyrgyzstan’ Presented at the Anthropology Departmental Research Seminar, University of Kent. February 2004
Professional organization affiliations
• American Anthropological Association (AAA)
• Society for Medical Anthropology
• Society for Latin American Anthropology
• American Nursing Association (ANA)
• International Society for Complementary Medicine Research (ISCMR)
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine Researcher Network (CAMRN)
• Society for Economic Botany
• Iraqi War Veterans for Peace (IWVP)
Volunteer experience
• Austin, TX. Organized and ran an independent child care co-op 2008-2009
• Austin, TX. Sustainable Food Center volunteer 2009
• San Marcos, Guatemala. Taught traditional midwife education classes 2006
• San Marcos, Guatemala. Volunteer nurse at local clinic 2006
• San Marcos, Guatemala. Ethnobotanical garden advisor 2006
• Antigua, Guatemala. Hurricane Stan community assistance 2005
• Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Grant proposal editing 2004
• San Francisco, CA. AIDS Foundation hotline operator 2001-2002
• Sicignano, Italy. Restoration of alternative health centre 1999
• Valencia, Venezuela. Set up and ran free health clinic 1998
• Columbus, MO. Camp nurse for children with cancer 1998
• Guangzhou, China. Traditional Chinese medicine clinic volunteer 1997
• Lismore, Australia. Alternative healing hospice volunteer 1996
Published: March 19, 2025