Director, Office of Integrative Activities, NSF (The United States National Science Foundation), USA.

During her tenure at the United States National Science Foundation (NSF), Ward has served in a number of science and engineering policy, planning and program capacities in both Education and Human Resources  and the Office of the Director. Ward provided critical leadership for development of several NSF-wide activities, including the Human and Social Dynamics priority area, the Science of Learning Centers program, Cyberinfrastructure and the Social Sciences, and the ADVANCE program. Ward has also served on the President's National Science and Technology Council subcommittees and interagency working groups in the areas of science education and workforce development, and the social, behavioural and economic sciences. Prior to joining NSF, Ward was an associate professor of psychology and founding director of the Center for Research on Multi-Ethnic Education at the University of Oklahoma, Norman. She has also held visiting academic appointments at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Johns Hopkins University. She received a BA in psychology as well as the Afro-American Studies Certificate from Princeton University and a PhD in psychology from Stanford University. Ward was awarded a Ford Foundation Fellowship and the 2005 American Psychological Association (APA) Presidential Citation, the most distinguished honour given by the APA president. The APA award recognized her steadfast support of the advancement of behavioural science and her to devotion to enhancing the diversity of the science and engineering workforce.

Dr Ward spoke about Advancing women scientists in academia: The NSF Experience at Session C3: MOBILISING AND MOBILITY OF SCIENTIFIC TALENT Competitive advantage of gender equality at the Gender Summit 1 EU (GS1EU).