Amber Watson, MSPH,  joined the Wandersman Center in October 2018 as a Research Associate. In her previous position, as a research and evaluation specialist with the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, she utilized the R=MC2 heuristic to assess and build organizational readiness for implementing evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs. Additionally, she has applied the Getting To Outcomes (GTO) approach within organizations that serve youth in the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and the Department of Social Services (DSS) systems.

​Her role at the Wandersman Center includes providing technical assistance to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) project, funded by the Department of Defense (DOD); conducting an evaluability assessment with Medical City Children’s Hospital for a community health program focusing on children’s nutrition; and acting as an evaluator for Serve and Connect. Amber has a Master of Science in Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of South Carolina and brings a strong background in the practical application of readiness, as well as research methodology, to the team. Her professional interests include the translation of research into actionable change and the impacts that health services, policy implementation, and systems have on individuals and their communities.