Her Story
About Evelyn
Evelyn Rucker-Bullard, PhD, M.P.A., is an education and public health professional serving as an Interventionist Teacher supporting primary and middle school students in Winter Haven, Florida. Her professional journey spans education, child welfare, mental health services, public administration, healthcare research, and customer-facing health services. Before entering education, she developed extensive experience as a child protective specialist and held supervisory and director-level responsibilities in foster care and mental health services for children and young adults. She also spent approximately five years as a supervisor in the beauty and cosmetics industry at Macy’s, where she provided educational workshops focused on skincare and makeup.
Rucker-Bullard's academic and research background centers on global health, chronic disease, oral health, public health, quantitative research, and nonprofit administration. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Global Health Sciences from Trident University International in 2024 after completing quantitative research examining oral health and chronic diseases. Her dissertation focused on predictors of oral health status among older, diabetic, and depressed Black women. She also holds a Master of Public Administration from Metropolitan College of New York, with a focus on public administration and nonprofit management. Her research experience includes scholarly and investigative research, presentations, stakeholder collaboration, and navigating the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process.
Throughout her career, Rucker-Bullard has maintained a strong commitment to service, learning, and improving the well-being of others. Her professional values are rooted in integrity, transparency, respect, and humility, while her commitment to perseverance was strongly influenced by her parents and their example of hard work and determination. She is particularly proud of her work with children and has expressed a long-term aspiration to establish her own mental health organization. Her combination of educational experience, public administration training, health sciences research, and human services experience provides a multidisciplinary foundation for her continued work in education, health, and community service.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Evelyn
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the motivation, work ethic, and perseverance that my parents modeled for me. They taught me never to give up and demonstrated through their own lives the importance of hard work, determination, and continually developing valuable skills.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women is to never give up and to remain committed to developing themselves through hard work, perseverance, and the acquisition of valuable skills. My parents were my greatest examples. My father had only a third-grade education, yet he worked extremely hard and taught us the importance of developing skills and building a foundation for our future. My mother earned her bachelor's degree later in life and became a special education teacher. Their example taught me that perseverance and a strong work ethic can help you continue moving forward regardless of where you begin.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me are integrity, transparency, respect, and humility. I strive to carry these principles into both my professional work and my personal life.
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