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Alison Neustrom, Ph.D. is the Research Director for the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR). PAR is a private nonprofit research organization offering solutions to critical public issues in Louisiana through accurate, objective research and focusing public attention on those solutions. Dr. Neustrom joined PAR after serving as the Vice-President for Public Policy at the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations where she was responsible for monitoring legislation and informing public policy for the benefit of Louisiana’s nonprofit sector and the people it serves. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Family Support at the Department of Social Services, which administers the SNAP program, TANF, Child Support Enforcement, Child Care, Child Care Licensing and Disability Determinations.
Dr. Neustrom served four years as Director of Policy and Planning at the Department of Social Services, during which she led state and federal public policy development while administering hurricane recovery projects. She also worked as a Research Associate at the Administrative Offices of the Courts at the California Judicial Council in the Center for Families, Children and the Courts.
Dr. Neustrom holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and a master’s in Social Work and Ph.D. in Sociology from Louisiana State University. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Berkley School of Social Welfare.
More than half the population of Louisiana – 51% -- is female. Yet, only 11 % of the state’s Legislators are women. Why?
What factors in Louisiana’s lifestyle – and history - contribute to its weight problems?
What will the changes to the state’s education system mean for Louisiana’s public schools?
How can the system be revamped while keeping the promise to those who have provided years of public service?
What factors in Louisiana’s lifestyle – and history - contribute to its weight problems?
How civic-minded are Louisiana’s citizens and how can they become more involved?
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