Github repository for personal portfolio
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.
Through my environmental science and policy research I largely investigate the connections between national and local government disaster management policies and climate change, and their influence on natural resources, social infrastructure, and economic development. The goal of my work is to improve our understanding of urban-rural issues, especially those underpinned by regional and demographic crises, to increase community resiliency, flexibility, and sustainability.
In 2024 I joined the Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences as a member of the Environmental Data Science Innovation & Inclusion Lab. Here, I am working on a team science project focused on investigating group dynamics, research ethics, open science, DEI and justice within research teams. The project focuses on improving inclusive science and research outcomes within the environmental sciences. The goal is to also investigate institutional structures and barriers to good science, as well as team and organizational values that contribute to different research outcomes.