Carol Schmitt

Carol Schmitt is a chief scientist in RTI International’s Community Health Research Division and moved from the Washington, DC metro area to Fort Collins in 2018 to live near her sister and bike to work. She has spent over 2 decades leading public health research and evaluation projects at the community, state, federal, and international levels. One of her most life-changing projects was developing evaluation plans for the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi, where her experiences with the talented, passionate, and well-educated Emirati women implementing these programs were completely counter to the negative media stereotypes of Muslim women in this region. She is currently examining the impact of climate change and severe weather events on public health infrastructure and population health in the coastal Gulf of Mexico region.  

On her path to public health, Carol loaded chairlifts in Breckenridge, served in the Air Force, was a hospice volunteer, married a USAF fighter pilot, had 2 boys, and practiced the piano. She was on the leadership committee of APHA’s Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs section for more than 20 years.