Sheila A. Ward, Ph.D., MPH
Exercise Physiologist
and Epidemiologist
Sheila A. Ward, a native of Richmond, Virginia, is
presently a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Education
and Exercise Science at Norfolk State University,
Norfolk, VA. She holds the B.S. in Physical Education with
an emphasis in Dance from Indiana University and the M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Exercise
Physiology from Temple
University. Ms. Ward also earned the Masters of Public
Health with a concentration in Epidemiology from Eastern Virginia Medical
School/Old Dominion University, Norfolk,
VA. She serves on and holds leadership positions
on several national boards including, the Editorial Board of JOPERD, Publications Chair of the National Dance
Association, and Black Women in Sport Foundation (Chair, Grants &
Research). Ms.
Ward is an NCATE reviewer and serves on Norfolk State
University’s NCAA
Academic Integrity Subcommittee.
Ms. Ward is a regular presenter at
local, state, and national conferences on such topics as topics of: managing the chronic diseases of cancer,
arthritis, and diabetes through exercise; physical activity, exercise, and
African-Americans; healthy living through dance; and, staff training workshops
on implementing exercise for persons with developmental disabilities and the
frail elderly. She is the recipient of
several program and research grants and is currently funded for an HIV/AIDS
Prevention Grant through the Office of Women’s Health, Department of Health and
Human Services.
She is published in The Physician
and Sportsmedicine, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Medicine and
Science in Sports and Exercise, and Pediatric Research. Recent publications, “Health and the Power of
Dance” and Redesigning the Body” appeared in the 2008 April and February
issues, respectively, of the Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation,
and Dance. Ms. Ward is currently a
consultant for the Cancer Control Project, Division of Chronic Disease Prevention
and Control, Virginia Department of Health.
She is a member of the American
College of Sports
Medicine, the Cancer Prevention Action Coalition, the Arthritis Task Force, Health Promotion for People with Disabilities, Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Iota Omega Chapter, and the Alpha Kappa Chapter
of Delta Omega, the honorary society in public health.
Ms. Ward is the Executive Director
of and professional dancer with Eleone Dance Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
and has performed professionally as one of the original members of Philadanco II
and with the Philadelphia Dance Company.
She is the former Associate Instructor and Acting Director of the
Afro-American Dance Company, Indiana
University. She is currently on the Virginia Artist in
Residency Roster, Virginia Commission on the Arts and the Dance Roster of the
Richmond Arts Council. Ms. Ward is the
primary grant writer for Eleone Dance Theatre, a PENNPAT Roster Artist who has
received 14 Dance grants.
She has completed over 25 extended dance residencies in grades K-12
throughout the States of Virginia and Delaware,
and the city of Philadelphia,
PA. Ms. Ward was cast as one of
the dancers in the movie “Beloved” and
she conceived and staged, “From These Roots,” a historical journey with dance
highlighting the emergence of African-Americans in Spring
2003.