Welcome! I am Kayleigh Ward, an environmental sociologist, community engaged researcher, and public health advocate. As a community engagement practitioner, I use my research to improve the well-being of the communities through a variety of community-vetted interventions. This includes meeting the needs of local partners and residents through projects that center local knowledge to create community-specified and context-specific solutions.
I received my Dual PhD from the Departments of Sociology and Environmental Science and Policy at Michigan State University. Today I focus on equitable utility policies (e.g., affordable water, energy, etc), public policy development, rural community development, and advancing public and environmental health protections for all.
Associated certifications:
MSU onGEO Professional GIS certificate (Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences)
MSU Community Engagement Certification (University Outreach and Engagement)
UCB Earth Data Analytics Professional Certificate (Department of Geography)
Faculty Developer & Lecturer, Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, Northeastern University
Affiliate, Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute, Northeastern University
Research Faculty, Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
Rural Policy Chair, Rural Sociological Society
Board Member, National Center for Frontier Communities
PhD Sociology and Environmental Science and Policy, Michigan State University
Kayleigh Ward 