Dr. Alligood is Professor Emeritus, College of Nursing, East Carolina University. She holds a diploma in nursing from Good Samaritan School of Nursing, bachelor of sacred literature (BSL) from Johnson University, BSN from University of Virginia, MS with a major in nursing from The Ohio State University, and PhD in nursing science from New York University.

Martha played a key role in the formation of Johnson's current pre-nursing/nursing program and currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Johnson University.