Alyson received her master’s degree in health education and improvement advisor (IA) certificate from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement. Her PhD (ABD) from USU is in Psychology with an emphasis in Data Science and Research Methodology. For over 20 yearss, her career efforts have demonstrated commitment to improving public health through health promotion, education, research, policy development, evaluation, and grant development from the community to national levels. Ms. Ward’s positions and interests provide her with broad and valuable experiences in public health. Early on, she worked in tobacco cessation, injury prevention, and employee wellness. Currently, Ms. Ward is engaged in learning systems development, improvement, and evaluation (e.g., coalitions, learning communities, and collaboratives) and children’s health research (e.g., environmental, viral, and genetic factors). At NCHAM, Ms. Ward directs quality improvement initiatives, coordinates with federal and non-federal partners, and plans workforce development for EHDI program staff. She also serves as the co-director of the congenital CMV (cytomegalovirus) Public Health and Policy Conference. Alyson loves spending time with her family and friends mountain biking, and backcountry skiing.
