Dr. Dianne Stanton Ward, 1964
Dr. Dianne Stanton Ward
Although a 1965 graduate at heart, Dianne Stanton Ward was able to graduate early and left the halls of Clover High School during the summer of 1964 to further her education. During her time at Clover High, Dianne played basketball, was in the marching band and dance band, and was a member of the Block C club. Upon graduation, Dianne entered Coker College where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in physical education in 1968. By 1979 Dianne had received a Master's degree and an Educational Doctorate degree in physical education from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Dr. Ward has been involved in post-doctoral research training in cardiovascular health at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario in children's pediatric exercise.
Currently, Dr. Ward is Professor of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. She directs the Children's Healthy Weight Research Group, a team that develops and evaluates evidence-based strategies for obesity prevention and health promotion for children and their caregivers. During her time at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Ward's team developed Go NAPACC (Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care), an online program for childcare that supports children's lifelong health and well-being. Go NAPACC is used in more than 20 states and reaches more than half-million children annually. Recently, she was recognized as a "World Expert" in childcare by Expertscape, a service that ranks biomedical researchers. She is noted to be among the top 1% worldwide of published authors in childcare research, and among the top 10% in the U.S. She has published nearly 300 scholarly papers and a book on children's exercise promotion.
Currently, Dr. Ward lives in Asheville, NC, working remotely for the University of North Carolina and caring for two grandchildren. The Clover Schools Alumni Association is proud to highlight Dr. Dianne Stanton Ward.
