Amanda Overgaard – Omaha

Amanda Overgaard Robinson (she/her) is a healthcare rights, reproductive justice, and education advocate. Her passion for these areas started as an undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), where Amanda studied medical anthropology and sociology. Her research and work helped connect her to local communities of women and fostered a passion for maternal child welfare. She went on to earn her Master of Arts in Sociology at UNO in 2015. She continued to research in the community on reproductive justice and healthcare access for mothers in Omaha. She also examined cross-cultural sleeping patterns, postpartum parental habits, breastfeeding practices through social networks, and cultural birth practices. Her work on perceptions of breastfeeding in the United States won the Society for Applied Anthropology’s Peter K. New Award in 2013. Through her research, Amanda has continued to foster a passion for healthcare access for all individuals. During this time, she also became passionate about providing educational opportunities to first-generation university students after experiencing the challenges herself. This passion led to a career in academia. Currently, Amanda works as an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Midland University, and Southern New Hampshire University. She teaches courses in sociology, psychology, and anthropology. Amanda is also passionate about raising her daughter Winifred, and sons Reid and Ender, as thriving community members. She likes to read books, rant about societal injustices, and drink warm beverages in her free time.