Sara Abiola

Dedicated educator & executive with 15+ years of experience leading top-performing teams, leveraging expertise in people management & higher education to define vision, strategy and KPIs that support innovation and produce measurable improvements in revenue, learning & development, user experience, and curriculum design. Served as an Amazon Web Services (AWS) senior leader responsible for thought leadership and managing a global team of 40+ diverse professionals while effectively using a multi-million-dollar annual operating budget to build and launch the AWS Cloud Institute. Provided strategic guidance and direction to a distributed team of experienced learning & development professionals, built strategic partnerships across the AWS organization, and developed trusted working relationships with external collaborators to increase productivity, program reach, content quality, rapid student enrollment, and revenue growth.

Delivered the 1st version of a community nutrition course that combined multiple Columbia University degree programs, integrating over 50 graduate students into 13 New York City & New York state government agencies or CBOs for internship experience and workforce development. Leveraged research & policy expertise to co-found and direct the Better Health Systems Lab, a research program designed to explore and promote innovations in healthcare delivery and drive measurable improvements in patient outcomes and system efficiency. Published multiple peer-reviewed articles in publications such as The New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Public Health, and Health Affairs.

Senior Manager, Curriculum Development in AWS Training and Certification at Amazon Web Services (AWS) (2022-01 – 2024-01)

• Served as an integral executive leader responsible for overseeing a global team of 40+ diverse professionals and maintaining the multi-million-dollar annual operating budget while establishing and launching the AWS Cloud Institute curriculum.
• Provided strategic direction and guidance to the diverse team of learning & development professionals and UX professionals, working with ½ the resources initially assigned and contracting with reputable vendors, building and managing relationships, and establishing collaboration to increase productivity and content quality and ensure delivery aligned with tight deadlines.
• Established strategic partnerships with various tech and education industry leaders, building relationships to ensure ongoing course relevance and expand AWS market reach and customer satisfaction.
• Oversaw the development and revision of AWS training materials using tools such as Articulate Storyline, Adobe Creative Cloud, Camtasia and Vyond, focusing on enhancing the learning experience with custom LMS, driving course enrollment, and implementing a rigorous quality control process to ensure that all training materials met the highest standards.
• Leveraged feedback and performance data to drive curriculum improvement such as including artificial intelligence (AI) courses while boosting learner satisfaction and engagement and delivered over 50 net new training modules to hundreds of AWS Cloud Institute students.
• Successfully built the Institute from the ground up and launched the training program on the market in just over 12 months, meeting the January 2024 deadline and earning recognition with the organization's Just Do It Award for creating the 1st AWS Cloud Institute Introductory Course.
• Following the removal of hiring freeze, facilitated the interviews of 97 candidates and oversaw the hiring of 15 people.
• Trained, developed, and mentored various team members and contributed to promoting a team member from Senior Instructional Designer to Curriculum Development Manager.

Executive Director and Associate Professor, Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education and Policy at Columbia University, Teacher College (2022-01)

• Leveraged extensive expertise to develop and execute innovative educational programs and policies in food and nutrition to accelerate program engagement and impact.
• Facilitated research and utilized findings to contribute to academic literature to influence public policy concerning food education, initiating and leading cross-disciplinary collaborations to enhance the center's visibility.
• Advocated for policy changes in food education, driving community awareness and implementing local and national policies.
• Mentored junior faculty and a diverse group of students, focusing on enhancing professional development and academic success.
• Completed high-level negotiations and secure contracts with New York City agencies, generating $1M+ in revenue.
• Delivered the 1st version of a community nutrition course that combined multiple degree programs, integrating over 50 graduate students into 13 NYC & NY state government agencies or CBOs for internship experience.
• Engaged regularly with stakeholders, updating through webinars, gaining support for policy changes, and ensuring ongoing success.

Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, Co-Director Better Health Systems Lab at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health (2012-01 – 2021-01)

• Oversaw the design, development, and facilitation of 2 new graduate-level courses to respond to student and market needs, including Food Law & Policy and Innovations in Health Policy.
• Developed and cultivated relationships with students, providing additional support to ensure academic success and guiding professional trajectories, receiving the highest rating for teaching effectiveness.
• Leveraged expertise to co-found and direct the Better Health Systems Lab, a research program designed to explore and promote innovations in healthcare delivery and drive measurable improvements in patient outcomes and system efficiency.
• Oversaw and secured various research grants that expanded research projects and resources and created opportunities for students to get involved in research.
• Published multiple peer-reviewed papers, including the subjects of the politics of vaccines and HPV vaccine mandates, and established a reputation as a thought leader within health policy and management.
• Utilized research and advocacy while facilitating critical policy changes at state and national levels to influence health policy.

Research Assistant, Instructor at Harvard School of Public Health (2007-01 – 2012-01)

• Analyzed complex data sets with accuracy and delivered critical insights that shaped research outcomes and findings, providing integral support in groundbreaking public health research supporting studies that influenced public health policies.
• Collaborated with a team of researchers and gained significant experience doing various research and analysis, utilizing advanced research techniques to enhance the quality and scope of research capabilities and optimize project efficiency.
• Provided assistance in preparing and presenting various research findings, enhancing the visibility of the research team's work.
• Published multiple peer-reviewed articles in publications such as The New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Public Health, and Health Affairs.
• Delivered a solid performance that earned recognition through a graduate scholarship covering tuition over the last years of the program and established a foundation that allowed entry into the Columbia program.

Law & Policy Consultant at Open Society Foundations

Associate at Clifford Chance LLP

Teaching Fellow – Public Health Law at Harvard School of Public Health

Teaching Fellow – Inequalities in Health Care at Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Policy – Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Juris Doctor (JD) – Harvard Law School

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology and International Studies – Yale University