Matthew Fifolt

Matthew Fifolt, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy & Organization at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health. He also serves as Co-Director of the Survey Research Unit and Assistant Director of the Applied Evaluation and Assessment Collaborative. His roles include leading multiple state and federal grants, such as the Alabama Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. Dr. Fifolt’s research focuses on public health policy, health equity, and program evaluation, with an emphasis on improving healthcare access and quality in underserved populations.

Education: PhD in Educational Leadership from UAB (2006), Master’s in Education from University of South Carolina (1995), and Bachelor’s in Communication from Valparaiso University (1993).

Research Interests: Program evaluation, quality improvement, infection prevention, and public health workforce development. He has contributed to initiatives like the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control and the Public Health Influencers Summer Institute, which aim to strengthen health systems and recruit diverse public health professionals.

Grants & Awards: Principal Investigator of over 80 grants, including federal and state projects. Recognitions include the 2019 Outstanding Public Health Faculty Service Award and the 2018 Centennial Award for Excellence.

Teaching & Mentorship: Teaches courses such as Public Health Policy, Ethics in Public Health, and oversees graduate student committees. Mentored students like Nevette Sample (dissertation chair) and Rachel White (committee member).

Labs/Teams: Leads the Survey Research Unit and collaborates with the Applied Evaluation and Assessment Collaborative to conduct large-scale public health surveys and evaluations.