April Heyward, MRA is the SC EPSCoR Program Manager at the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA). She develops, implements, and manages STEM programs and initiatives to increase research capacity, research competitiveness, and the STEM workforce pipeline in South Carolina. April is pursuing her Doctorate in Public Administration at Valdosta State University and is in the Dissertation phase of her Doctoral Program. Her research interests are Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Deep Learning, Health Policy, Large Language Models, Machine Learning, Public Administration, Public Health, Research Methods, Scientometrics, and STEM Education and Training. April is an R Programmer (R Coder) and works specifically in RStudio IDE. 

April is the President of the South Carolina Academy of Sciences (1st term), Executive Committee Officer (1st term) of ASPA Section on Science and Technology in Government (SSTIG), and SCAS Council Member (2nd term) of the South Carolina Academy of Sciences Council. She previously served as Vice President of the South Carolina Academy of Sciences from August 2020 to June 2023. April serves as an NSF Reviewer and previously served as a HRSA Grant Reviewer for over 5 years. Her educational background includes a Master of Research Administration from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Benedict College. April is a Riley Institute Diversity Fellow at Furman University.