Alyssa I. Agard is the founder and president of Agard Research Associates Inc., a nonprofit research firm committed to advancing free and accessible scholarship on workplace, institutional, and policy reform. She is also a Master of Public Policy student at Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, where she is concentrating in Foreign Affairs & Defense Policy and expects to complete her degree in 2027. Alyssa’s long-term academic goal is to pursue a PhD in Political Science with a specialization in war and strategic studies, focusing on the ways in which governance, institutional behavior, and defense policy interact to shape national and international security outcomes. Her research is particularly concerned with the ways in which political decision-making structures and economic systems influence outcomes in both corporate and governmental contexts. By leading a nonprofit organization while pursuing advanced graduate education, she demonstrates her commitment to bridging research and practice in the service of public policy. This combined focus allows her to cultivate a scholarly foundation while applying her insights to real-world institutional and defense-related challenges.

Her academic foundation is built upon a Bachelor of Arts in History from Georgian Court University, where she graduated magna cum laude, and an Associate of Arts in Political Science and Humanities from Brookdale Community College. At Georgian Court, she served as Chapter President of Phi Alpha Theta, organizing academic trips, induction ceremonies, and events designed to strengthen student engagement. In that role, she also collaborated on faculty-supervised research covering topics such as the California Gold Rush, Gilded Age entrepreneurship, and American military conflicts during the world wars. She presented on Cold War foreign policy at seminars, which helped refine her expertise in historical foreign relations. These experiences deepened her understanding of how historical narratives and archival research can inform contemporary policy debates. By integrating historical study with political science and behavioral insights, Alyssa positions herself at the intersection of disciplines necessary for comprehensive policy analysis. Her undergraduate and graduate studies together form the foundation for her ongoing contributions to both academic and applied research.

Alyssa’s professional background blends experiences in behavioral health, education, and nonprofit leadership. She worked as a Registered Behavior Technician, applying applied behavior analysis to support individuals with developmental disabilities in both clinical and educational environments. In this role, she implemented individualized treatment plans, collected and analyzed behavioral data, and collaborated with clinical supervisors to adjust interventions based on outcomes. She has also served as a certified substitute teacher across public districts and private schools, adapting instruction to align with Individualized Education Programs and accommodation plans. These experiences provided her with firsthand exposure to systemic challenges facing individuals in educational and therapeutic contexts. While her early work was focused on supporting individuals, she now applies these behavioral and structural insights to larger questions of institutional reform. This professional background equips her to connect human behavior with organizational systems in ways that strengthen policy outcomes.

Through Agard Research Associates Inc., Alyssa directs interdisciplinary projects that examine the intersections of history, human behavior, and policy reform. She has overseen the establishment of organizational infrastructure, including securing nonprofit status, building financial systems, and ensuring state and federal compliance. Her leadership has expanded into developing research initiatives that use advanced tools such as ArcGIS, R, SPSS, SQL, Python, and C++ to produce data-driven outputs. She has also facilitated professional development workshops for small businesses and private schools in New Jersey, focusing on cultural competence, social-emotional learning, and policy compliance in areas such as FERPA, HIPAA, OSHA, and EEOC. By integrating behavioral science with policy frameworks, she advances evidence-based practices that can improve organizational effectiveness. Her consulting engagements are tailored to support workplace, academic, and institutional reform. In every project, Alyssa emphasizes accessibility and equity, ensuring that complex research is made widely available to educators, policymakers, and communities.

Her research interests increasingly center on defense strategy, national security, and war planning. Alyssa is particularly focused on wartime production efficiency, the Department of Defense’s evolving strategies, and the interplay between global economics and cyber warfare. She is also interested in how the Department of Energy and other agencies contribute to conflict readiness, as well as the mechanisms that build public support for defense initiatives. To advance this work, she plans to establish a specialized consulting firm focused on defense strategy and war planning, which will allow her to partner with contractors such as Raytheon, Boeing, or RTX. Through this firm, she intends to provide analytical and advisory services that strengthen policy, strategic planning, and operational readiness in times of conflict. Her long-term goal is to shape national security policy through both scholarship and practice, ensuring that decision-makers are equipped with rigorous, data-driven insights. By combining her nonprofit leadership with her consulting ambitions, Alyssa is preparing to address emerging security challenges on both national and global scales.

Ultimately, Alyssa’s career goals reflect her vision of connecting behavioral science, historical context, and policy analysis in order to advance institutional reforms that are ethical, inclusive, and evidence-based. Her academic training, professional background, and nonprofit leadership collectively demonstrate her ability to engage with complex challenges across multiple domains. She remains committed to producing research that is both rigorous and accessible, ensuring that diverse stakeholders can apply insights to practice. As she continues her graduate studies, she plans to expand her network and deepen her expertise in policy, economics, and defense strategy. The launch of her consulting firm will mark a natural extension of her career trajectory, positioning her to contribute directly to defense policy analysis, wartime planning, and institutional security. In doing so, she aspires to be at the forefront of conversations about governance, organizational reform, and national defense. Through this integrated approach, Alyssa advances her commitment to bridging scholarship and practice for the public good.

Contact information: 

aagard@agardresearchassociates.org

Alyssa Agard | Appointment Scheduling

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