Tiara N. Walz

Professional Summary:

Tiara N. Walz, PhD, MHA, MBA, MS.Ed, FACHE, is the Deputy Program Director and an Assistant Professor with the U.S. Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health & Business Administration. A board-certified healthcare executive and active-duty Army officer, Dr. Walz brings over 17 years of leadership experience spanning clinical operations, managed care, and health policy. Her academic and research interests include women's health for military servicewomen, policy and social determinants of health among veterans, military readiness, and innovation in healthcare management and education.

Dr. Walz earned her PhD in Public Health from Oregon State University and holds graduate degrees in Health Administration, Business Administration, and Science in Education in Exercise Science. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and currently serves as the Army Regent for the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Deputy Consultant to the Office of the Surgeon General for Army Healthcare Administrators.

An award-winning educator and researcher, Dr. Walz is deeply committed to developing future healthcare leaders across both military and civilian sectors. She is also an avid volunteer, dedicating time to community service, mentorship, and professional development initiatives.

Education:

• 2023 – Ph.D., Public Health, with an emphasis in Health Policy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
• 2017 – MHA, Baylor University, Waco, TX
• 2017 – MBA, Baylor University, Waco, TX
• 2012 – M.S.Ed., Exercise Science, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, TX
• 2009 – B.S. Biology, minor in Chemistry, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, IA

Courses:

• Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Health Policy
• Population Health
• Effective Communication Techniques and Public Speaking (Elective)

Professional Affiliations:

• American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
• American Public Health Association (APHA)
• AcademyHealth
• AMSUS, The Society of Federal Health Professionals
• The Association of University Programs in Health Administration

Selected Papers:

• Craig, P.J., Bennett, J.L., Aytur, S., Walz, T., Thompson, T., Kershaw, A (under review). Promoting physical activity and mental health for U.S. veterans: constraints and negotiation factors. Submitted to Military Medicine, 2026.
• Russell, C., Walz, T., Manzo, L., Mueller, S., Messina, S., Arana, S., Feng, K., Harner, H. (2026). “It is my dark secret”: A qualitative study on the abortion experiences of U.S. active-duty servicewomen. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/psrh.70064
• Walz, T., Owens, T., & Alfonso, L. (2025). A leadership dilemma: Navigating culture change in a surgical department (Case Study/Chapter 27). In Fundamentals of Healthcare Management: Theory and Practice. Springer Publishing.
• Russell, C., Walz, T., Manzo, L., Mueller, S., Messina, S., Arana, S., Feng, K., Harner, H. (2025). Policy knowledge and abortion access for U.S. active-duty servicewomen: a mixed methods study. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health.  https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.70049
• Walz, T., Wood, D., Jimenez, J., Evans, G., Barnes, B. (2025).Integrating artificial intelligence into program design for future health care leaders: faculty insights from the Army-Baylor MHA/MBA program. Journal of Health Administration Education, Volume 41(2), Summer 2025, pp. 369-392(24).
• Walz, T., Wood, D., Jimenez, J., Evans, G., Barnes, B. (2025). Innovating healthcare management education with artificial intelligence: a case study from the Army-Baylor university graduate program in health and business administration. Military Medicine, 2025; usaf167. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usaf167
• Russell, C., Manzo, L., Walz, T., Lu, A., Harner, H. (2024). Abortion access for U.S. active-duty servicewomen: A scoping review. Contraception, Volume 14 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2024.110703