In 1990, Dr. Fiveash earned an undergraduate degree at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC with a major in nutrition and minors in biology and fitness. She completed a yearlong dietetic internship in Augusta, GA. In 1998, Dr. Fiveash obtained an MPH from the University of Michigan. Five years later, she completed her doctorate (DrPH) in Maternal and Child Health at UAB. Her course work included special education programs and policies, public health law, statistics, quality of life measurements, and an economic analysis fellowship. Her dissertation research analyzed the quality of life, body weight, and health care insurance among 850 Birmingham City school children. During her graduate programs, she conducted research and taught graduate level classes.  She completed a postdoctoral traineeship in clinical trials and epidemiology in 2005.   Dr. Fiveash has served as an advocate for children covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for over 13 years. In addition, she has written over 40 grants and edited over 1,000 articles. In April 2015, she was asked to serve as the Interim Executive Director of Spring Valley School. The following October, the SVS Board of Directors named Dr. Fiveash the permanent director. She is married to Dr. John Fiveash, a UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Physician who treats pediatric and adult brain tumors. Together, they have 16-year old triplets.