NCID-2189
Branden McLeod
Associate Professor
University of Illinois Chicago
Education/Degree:
1 Social Work (Morgan State University)
About
Branden A. McLeod joined Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) in August 2016, where he currently serves as an Associate Professor. Branden teaches social welfare policy and research. Branden’s research examines how social policies and systems shape Black men’s well-being and their relationships with their families, focusing on how these systems shape their roles as fathers. Given the overrepresentation of Black males within the criminal legal system and its impact on their families, he dedicates his research to understanding their experiences, outcomes, and solutions. Before joining UIC, Branden held policy advocacy positions at the Child Welfare League of America, Maryland Center for Economic Policy, and University of Maryland School of Social Work. Branden holds a Ph.D. in Social Work from Morgan State University, an M.S.W. degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a B.S. in Human Services from Lincoln University in Pa.
Current Work
My scholarship addresses systems of social control, incarceration's consequences, and fathers’ and families’ resilience. My studies use quantitative and qualitative approaches to understand fathers’ experiences. For instance, in ongoing research in which I am a Co-Principal Investigator, we deployed surveys and interviews to understand mental well-being and family relationships among young Black fathers in the child support and carceral systems. In previous research, I used quantitative secondary data analyses of existing datasets (i.e., the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study (FFCW) and Multi-site Family Study on Incarceration, Parenting, and Partnering (MFSIP) datasets). Using FFCW data, I examined the relationship between incarceration and child support arrears among low-income fathers. Using MFSIP data, I examined the effects of multiple forms of contact during imprisonment on father-child relationship quality. I aim to produce research to inform and change social systems.
Research Area Keyword(s)
Criminal legal system, Child support, Black fathers, Family strengthening, Carceral institutions