DR. JENNIFER CONNER's BIO

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Dr. Jennifer Conner has extensive experience in behavioral research, clinical health services research, grant

administration, community- based public health programming, and policy evaluation. She has brought together academic institutions, hospitals, schools, faith- based organizations, community- based organizations, municipalities, and non- profits to investigate and evaluate a broad range of health topics, including childhood obesity, respiratory illness, traumatic brain injury, cancer and birth defects. She has also examined healthcare system topics, such as access to quality care, safety net benefits, and incentive- based insurance.

Dr. Conner served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health, supporting community- based projects in San Antonio and its four contiguous counties. In 2011 , Dr. Conner was appointed as Policy Subcommittee Chair for the San Antonio Mayor’ s Fitness Council. She launched several faith- based

obesity prevention programs and developed several community gardens in the area. More recently, Dr. Conner worked with the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care to

investigate health disparities and evaluate disease prevention and health promotion strategies across the state. She continued those efforts with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Dr. Conner recently joined NYITCOM at Arkansas State University to serve as Deputy Director of the Delta Population Health Institute.

Dr. Conner served on the Lake Village Economic Development Commission and was instrumental in launching the Arkansas Mayors Mentoring Mayors program to advance comprehensive community health and wellness. Dr. Conner is a graduate of the Delta Regional Authority Leadership Executive Academy and the Community Development Institute – Central. Dr. Conner is passionate about serving rural communities as she is an Arkansas rural native. In 2019 , Dr. Conner was named a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ( RWJF) Culture of Health Leader finalist and led her hometown of Lake Village, Arkansas, in being named a RWJF Culture of Health Community Prize finalist.

Dr. Conner has a Doctor of Public Health in leadership and policy from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences ( UAMS), a Master of Public Health from UAMS, and a Master of Applied Psychology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.