About
Dr. Nkiru Nnawulezi is an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Affiliate Faculty at Yale School of Public Health. She earned her doctorate in Ecological-Community Psychology at the Michigan State University and has additional certifications in college teaching, community engagement, and quantitative research methods. Her research examines the ecological factors that enhance equity within and across the domestic violence housing continuum. She aims to improve the social and material conditions for survivors of gender-based violence who occupy multiply marginalized social identities. Dr. Nnawulezi also seeks to develop sustainable survivor-centered, community-based systems of support that can serve as alternatives to traditional social service systems. Her work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, State of Michigan, and Center for Victim Research. She is an award-winning researcher and mentor and has disseminated her scholarship to academic, policy, and community audiences. As an expert in community-based, participatory research and trained facilitator, Dr. Nnawulezi designs participatory research processes with community partners to find innovative solutions to complex social problems. She serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Family Violence and is on the editorial board of the Community Psychology in the Global Perspective Journal. She is also a Research and Evaluation Advisor to multiple systems change organizations such as the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Ujima: The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community.
Current Work
Currently, Dr. Nnawulezi is implementing two research and evaluation projects. Project 1: Survivor Needs Assessment. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory study is to understand the individual needs and help-seeking practices of survivors whose partners are currently in or have participated in New Behaviors, an abuser intervention program located in Howard County. Specifically, the study aim to assess survivors' perceived or experienced needs in the areas of mental health, physical health, social services, and community resources. This study will also explore the perceived effectiveness of relevant survivor services within the community.Project 2: Empowerment Study EvaluationThe District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH) provides a low-barrier, rapid re-housing program for survivors who are housing insecure or homeless as a result of abuse by a former or current partner. This program is called the 'Empowerment Project.' Survivors who enter into this two-year program are
Research Area Keyword(s)
Black women, community psychology, Empowerment, empowerment theory, Gender-based violence (IPV), help-seeking, intimate partner violence, participatory research and evaluation