Alyson Haylor was a project assistant at the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center and a doctoral student in Howard University’s African Studies program. Her research focuses on the use of sports and community organizing to decrease the prevalence of gender-based violence in South Africa. She is a teaching assistant for Howard University’s Department of African Studies as well as a Foreign Language and Area Studies fellow. Prior to that, Haylor received a master’s degree in social justice and human rights from Arizona State University focusing on sports, gender, and social-justice issues.

Outside of academics, Haylor has a background in sports as an artistic swimmer for over fifteen years. During her athletic career, she became a two-time Olympic Trials competitor, an All-American athlete, and an All-Collegiate athlete, and she represented the US Artistic Swimming National Team at world competitions in countries like Serbia, Hungary, Canada, and Greece.