The FASD United team is deeply saddened by the passing of FASD champion, Louise Floyd.  A brilliant scientist, Dr. Floyd was instrumental to our nation’s public health response to FASD through her establishment and leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s FAS Prevention Team starting in 1992.  Shortly afterward, FASD United (then NOFAS) developed a close working relationship with Dr. Floyd through her retirement in 2015, and our work with CDC continues today and remains an invaluable partnership. 

Through Louise’s dedication and vision, CDC has developed many of the most impactful programs and projects to address FASD and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) at the national level. Louise started Project CHOICES, a landmark approach to reducing PAE that formed a foundation of CDC’s FASD prevention efforts, with which FASD United has been proud to serve as a key partner. 

Louise was a leading voice calling for a robust national public health response to FASD.  She always encouraged a broad Federal Government agency involvement in FASD, culminating in her work representing CDC in the Interagency Coordinating Committee on FASD (ICCFASD) which fosters collaboration among disciplines and federal agencies that address FASD and PAE.  Louise also oversaw the development of the National Task Force on FAS/FAE, serving as its first Executive Secretary. 

Louise authored over 50 key pieces of research and publications on FASD and public health, including the guidebook “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Guidelines for Referral and Diagnosis” which served to increase diagnostic capacity around the country and expanded opportunities for children and adults with FASD to get referrals to services. 

Dr. Floyd was always determined to apply public health principles to make FASD broadly recognized.  While working diligently to prevent alcohol use during pregnancy, she would always ensure that this work was evidence-based with robust data and research reports tied to clear measurable outcomes that advanced public health. 

Our own Kathleen T. Mitchell reflects, “Rest in Peace sweet Louise. She was a brilliant woman that I loved and I really enjoyed working with. She left a huge footprint in advancing the field of FASD prevention with Project CHOICES.” Dr. Floyd was enshrined in the FASD United Hall of Fame in 2011. 

Louise’s legacy endures through the outstanding FASD team at CDC, where she mentored and guided staff and researchers in the field of FASD prevention and intervention.  Many of the professionals trained and mentored by Louise continue to make invaluable contributions to our understanding of PAE and FASD, inspired by Louise’s vision. 

Elizabeth Dang, a longtime colleague of Louise working with CDC’s FASD efforts, observes that, “Louise hired several of our staff in the late 1990s and early 2000s who are still working in this area today. She was truly an expert in the topic of alcohol use during pregnancy and FASDs; she was instrumental in raising national visibility on the topic and contributed so much to the growth of our program. We owe a lot to Louise and her dedication to this important public health issue.” 

Dr. Floyd received the CDC/ATSDR Charles C. Shepard Award for Scientific Excellence in 2008 and the Henry Rosett Award from the FASD Study Group, Research Society on Alcoholism in 2010, for outstanding contributions to scientific research and efforts to increase awareness of FASD. 

Louise was more than a scientist.  She was a devoted loving mother and shared that side of herself with her colleagues.  We invite you to please read the in-depth moving personal tribute that Louise’s alma mater, Berea College, published in their magazine in 2020 as “Unforgettable: The Louise Floyd Story.” Her obituary is published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

A celebration of Louise’s life will be held on Saturday, September 2, at 11:00am Eastern at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 1790 LaVista Rd NE, Atlanta GA 30329.    

Memorial gifts can be made to Best Friends Animal Society in her honor or to the Rosa Louise Floyd Nursing Scholarship Fund at Berea College, Philanthropy Office, CPO 2216, Berea KY 40404—please indicate your intention to give to the Rosa Louise Floyd Nursing Scholarship Fund.