Stephanie L. Orstad, PhD

I have over 15 years of experience developing, implementing, and evaluating programs to improve the lives of individuals and communities. In 2016, I completed a PhD in Health Promotion from Purdue University, where I trained in quantitative methods for public health research. I also taught undergraduate courses in planning and evaluating health interventions. Since 2016, I have led development and evaluation of programs focused on health promotion and poverty reduction in partnership with community-based organizations in Toronto, Ontario and New York City. I also conduct research in the areas of physical activity promotion and obesity prevention in clinical and community settings.

Currently, I serve as the Director of Evaluation and Reporting for University of Maryland Extension. I bring expertise in program planning and evaluation with a commitment to community engaged approaches. Our unit supports faculty to develop proficiencies in program planning and evaluation, as well as develops processes and systems at the state-level to manage and report on Extension data.