With over 20 years of ethics and compliance experience, Alison Watkins serves as the assistant vice president for policy oversight at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and as the UMB conflict of interest officer.

An attorney and graduate of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree and certificate in health law, Alison oversees both the Conflict of Interest Office and the Office of University Policy and Procedures. She holds a doctorate from the School of Public Policy at UMBC and a master’s degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. She has prior research experience in two departments in the University of Maryland School of Medicine: the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

As a member of the Provost's Office, Alison serves on the Provost Leadership Council, and is also a member of the following committees: UMBrella Advisory Board, President’s Council for Women, Diversity Advisory Council, Core Values Implementation Committee, and the Research Compliance Committee.