Amanda Taffy

Amanda Taffy is the Inaugural Program Director and Lead Faculty for the SMU-MHA program, where she leads the collaborative design, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum development. She oversees faculty appointments and advises students. In addition to her administrative role, Amanda teaches Health Law, Negotiations, and Ethics in Healthcare. She brings two decades of experience in health law, policy, public health, and public service to her leadership and teaching.

Amanda leads a multi-institutional research team focused on violence in New York City, collaborating with faculty and researchers from John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) and Columbia University. Prior to joining SMU, she worked on gun violence mitigation in Jackson, Mississippi, where she collected and analyzed data from diverse sources and developed targeted policy recommendations. Amanda also spearheaded a community beautification initiative in partnership with the Yale Club of Mississippi. Previously, Amanda served as an attorney at the Appellate Division, 2nd Dept (MHLS) in New York City. She also served as the Director of Public Service & Social Justice for the Yale Alumni Association in NYC, where she founded and co-chaired the Public Service Committee and the Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force.