Vickie Dugat, PhD, MPH

Program Director, Connecting Kids To Coverage

Research Associate, the Chiles Center

Contact Info

• Office: LRC 224
• Academic Email: vdugat@usf.edu
• Academic Phone: (813) 974-1734
• View My C.V.

Education

Discipline

Community and Family Health

Specialization

• Maternal and Child Health
• Breastfeeding
• Nonprofit Leadership
• Community Engagement
• Grant Administration

Biography

Dr. Dugat is the Program Director for the Connecting Kids to Coverage Initiative and a Research Associate with the Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies at the University of South Florida College of Public Health. She earned her Ph.D. in Health Education with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Toledo, a Master of Public Health from Morehouse School of Medicine, and a Bachelor of Science in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences from the University of Florida. Dr. Dugat’s research focuses on exclusive breastfeeding behaviors, racial and ethnic health disparities, and the impact of stressful life events during pregnancy. She has also contributed to academia as an instructor of graduate public health courses for the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida. In addition to her research and teaching, Dr. Dugat is actively engaged in community outreach. She is one of the co-founder’s of the Florida Black Maternal Health Initiative, where she works to raise awareness, provide education, and support mothers through community-driven programming. She also leads the annual 5K Fun Run for Black Maternal Health Week in Tampa Bay, uniting community partners and participants to elevate Black maternal health issues and celebrate resilience. As a first-generation Haitian American and college graduate, Dr. Dugat is dedicated to advancing maternal health equity, reducing breastfeeding disparities among underrepresented populations, and strengthening connections between research, policy, and community action.