Laura Arntson
Adjunct Professorial Lecturer
School of International Service
Degrees
Ph.D. (Indiana University, Folklore/Ethnomusicology 1992) MPH. (Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine 1999) Certificate in Field Epidemiology (UNC 2010) Masters in Music (New England Conservatory of Music 1980) BA (Western Washington University 1978)
Languages Spoken
French (basic/intermediate) Maninka (conversational)
Bio
Laura has over 14 years of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) experience that includes 7 years as an M&E specialist with USAID and responsibility for Office and Mission reporting. Laura’s expertise includes rigorous impact evaluation studies, quantitative data collection and analysis, mixed-method evaluations, and qualitative research, including: technical oversight of the USAID/Liberia Feed the Future population-based baseline survey; design, analysis, and study report on an epidemiological and KAP study of the Haiti cholera epidemic; responsibility for leading USAID/Nigeria PEPFAR public health evaluation protocol development and internal review process; contributions to the study design and scope of work for a Nigeria Socio-Economic Impact Study of HIV/AIDS; mid-term evaluation team member of a USAID/Liberia Child Survival project; design, supervision, analysis, and reporting on a statistically representative population-base baseline for a Title II PL480 Food Security Program in central Uganda for Save the Children; analysis and reporting on a quantitative crop inventory study in central Uganda; program evaluations of a psychosocial support program for IDPs in Kabul, Afghanistan, a health promotion and education program for IDP Children in Montenegro, and a children in crisis program in Guinea; the design of a mixed-methods impact evaluation study design of a USAID country development strategy; and qualitative socio-cultural, behavioral, ethnomusicological, and anthropological research in West Africa. Laura’s specific technical expertise also includes: sampling and questionnaire design for household surveys and knowledge, attitude/practice and behavioral surveys; qualitative data analysis; M&E training and capacity building; nutritional epidemiology and field epidemiology; and environmental mitigation and compliance monitoring.
