Every year, 30 women are chosen to participate in this elite, fully-funded 12-month program. Cohort members work with a mentor, a professional coach, attend in-person intensive retreats, and design and implement a Leadership Project over the course of the year. This is the first time a participant affiliated with the University of Alabama at Birmingham has been selected.

While at UAB, Allison has participated in the creation of the UAB Global Strategy and works with the UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health all while pursuing a DrPH with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health and Global Health. Spensley has lived and worked in Zambia, Peru, Nicaragua, and Malawi, with work experience in over 18 countries focusing primarily on East and Southern Africa over the past 20 years. She has worked directly with national governments for policy and program planning, strategic planning, and the production of national guidelines in several public health areas. Ms. Spensley has worked with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UNICEF, Family Health International, the Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, and has served as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Most recently, she lived in Zambia where she served as the Senior Advisor for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“I am honored to be selected as a participant of this leadership program for women in global health,” said Spensley. “I feel like I’ve come full circle, starting my career at UAB as a young master’s degree student and now returning 20 years later as a doctoral student. I look forward to putting my experience with the WomenLift Health leadership program to use in my next steps after completing my degree.” Allison earned her MPH at UAB in 2001 and attended every UAB home basketball game during her childhood because her father is a UAB super-fan.