Jaclyn McAlester is an Assistant Professor of Data Science at Eastern University. She brings over a decade of experience as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, along with extensive global
humanitarian and mission work.

A Rotary Peace Fellow alumna, her work is shaped by interests in peacebuilding, social justice, and complex systems. Her research interests focus on the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health, with particular attention to zoonotic diseases and ethical data use. She is especially interested in how statistical modeling and data-driven analysis can inform policy, improve health outcomes, and illuminate the disproportionate impacts of zoonotic diseases on vulnerable communities.