Mary-Ellen Brown
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Phone: 520-884-5507
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Mary-Ellen Brown is an associate professor in the School of Social Work of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at Arizona State University, and the founder and director of ASU's Office of Community Health, Engagement, and Resiliency. Through varied experiences in Brown's academic and professional history, she has a robust background in research and evaluation, community health, positive youth development, and neighborhood planning and revitalization. Brown's scholarship is focused on the effects of poverty and violence as related to the resiliency, health and well-being of underserved communities, including Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and urban Native American populations.
Brown's areas of specialized research include examining social determinants of health embedded in components of equitable community development, community health, and systems that perpetuate poverty and community stress and trauma. This line of investigation includes a special emphasis on developing valid and reliable measures for determining the effectiveness of community-engaged prevention and intervention efforts in promoting resiliency and positive health outcomes to combat minority health inequities and related risk factors.
In 2019, Brown was recognized with the Emerging Community Solutions Scholar Award and also the Community Solutions Research Team award from the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions for her community-engaged action research. In 2020, Brown was recognized by NASW-AZ Branch II as Social Worker of the Year, and by the Association for Community Organization and Social Action (ACOSA) with the 2020 Emerging Scholar Award. In 2021, her research unit, ASU's Office of Community Health, Engagement and Resiliency received the ASU President's Medal for Social Embeddedness.
- Ph.D. Louisiana State University, School of Social Work 2015
- M.P.A. Louisiana State University, EJ Ourso College of Business 2011
- M.S.W. University of South Carolina, College of Social Work, Macro Practice Concentration 2004
- B.S. Psychology, Spring Hill College 2000
- The impact of health disparities and health inequities on community readiness to organize and engage in revitalization and transformation.
- The effects of social determinants of disparities and inequities such as those linked to urban poverty, trauma, and violence on the health and wellbeing of vulnerable children and families.
- The influences of social capital; participatory research; collective efficacy; collective impact on the social drivers of crime and poverty.
- The essential elements of effective nonprofit management and program evaluation on community redevelopment and revitalization efforts in communities of color.
Brown, M.E., & Livermore, M. (In press) Understanding social capital in low-resource communities: Using cluster analysis to enhance community engagement. Journal of the Society for Social Work Research.
Brown, M.E., & Dustman, P. A. (In press) Identifying a project’s greatest ‘hits’: Meaningful use of Facebook in an underserved community’s development and mobilization effort. Journal of Social Work Practice. doi: 10.1080/02650533.2019.1597694
Brown, M.E., & Baker, B. (In press) “People first”: Factors that promote or inhibit community transformation. Community Development. doi: 10.1080/15575330.2019.1597911
Brown, M.E., Rizutto, T., & *Singh, P. (In press) Strategic compatibility, collaboration and collective impact for community change. Leadership and Organization Development Journal.
*Peace-Tuskey, K.A., & Brown, M.E. (In press) Essential strategies for community peacebuilding training: Lessons from the field. Journal of Peacebuilding and Development.
Brown, M.E., & *Dinecola, C. (2019). Technology and community-engaged research. Journal of Technology in Human Services. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/15228835.2019.1577790
Brown, M.E., & Stalker, K.C. (2018) Assess Connect Transform In our Neighborhood: A framework for engaging community partners in CBPR research designs. Action Research Journal. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/1476750318789484
Brown, M.E., Livermore, M., & Ball, A. (2015). Social work advocacy: Professional self interest and social justice. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 42(3), 45-63.
*denotes student or community author
Courses
2024 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
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SWG 585 | Macro Social Work Practice |
SWG 585 | Macro Social Work Practice |
2022 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
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SWG 585 | Macro Social Work Practice |
SWG 585 | Macro Social Work Practice |
2020 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
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SWG 685 | Program Planning Soc Services |
2020 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
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SWG 682 | Community Participation Strats |
SWG 585 | Macro Social Work Practice |
Selected National Presentations:
Brown, M.E., Stalker, K., & Baker, B. (2018, November). Community readiness for crime prevention and reduction initiatives. American Society of Criminology. Atlanta, Georgia.
Brown, M.E., & Stalker, K. (2018, November). ACTION: Academic and community collaboration in research designs for social justice. Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting. Orlando, Florida.
Livermore, M., & Brown, M.E. (2018, November). Deserving or undeserving? Benefit recipient’s civic engagement and social support provision. Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting. Orlando, Florida.
Brown, M.E., & Stalker. K. (2018, July). ACTION: A framework for engaging community partners in CBPR research designs. Social Work, Education, and Social Development. Dublin, Ireland.
Brown, M.E., Stalker, K., & Barthelemy, J. (2018, July). Predictors of perceptions of collective efficacy by community members and law enforcement partners. Social Work, Education, and Social Development. Dublin, Ireland.
Brown, M.E., & Baker, B. (2018, July). “People first”: Residents’ perceptions of factors that promote or inhibit community transformation. Social Work, Education, and Social Development. Dublin, Ireland.
*Stark, J., Brown, M.E., & Castellanos, S. (2018, April). CBCR Clinic: Community engagement – Developing a community-oriented strategy. Department of Justice Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction Planning & Implementation Grantee Meeting. Washington, D.C.
Brown, M.E. (2018, January). Phenomenological analysis of social capital and community functioning. Society for Social Work and Research 22nd Annual Conference. Washington, D.C.
*Brown, M.E. (2018, January). Grant writing skills for social workers in community and school settings. American Council for School Social Work. New Orleans, Louisiana.
Brown, M.E. (2017, November). Community trust and neighborhood disadvantage. American Society for Criminology. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Brown, M.E., & Baker, B. (2017, November). Community-based participatory research and crime. American Society for Criminology. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Brown, M.E. (2017, November). Health, crime, and social connectedness. American Society for Criminology. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Brown, M.E. (2017, November). Panel Member: Sustainability in BCJI sites using researcher/practitioner partnerships. American Society for Criminology. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Baker, B., & Brown, M.E. (2017, November). Community and police perspectives on crime drivers and solutions. American Society for Criminology. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Brown, M.E. (2017, October). Technology and community-embedded research. Council on Social Work Education, Dallas, Texas.
Brown, M.E. (2017, January). Designing, executing, disseminating and assessing participatory research projects in social work. Society for Social Work Research, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Cotter, C., Brown, M.E., Bower, M., & Spence, A. (2017, January). Teen Court photovoice. Society for Social Work Research, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Livermore, M., & Brown, M.E. (2017, January). Cluster analysis of social capital in low wealth neighborhood. Society for Social Work Research, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Brown, M.E. (2016, November). Social capital and community engagement for safe communities. Neighborhood, Communities and Crime Roundtable, Presenter and Chair. American Society of Criminology, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Brown, M.E. (2015, October). Building inter-organizational collaborations. In A. Khare (Organizer), Collaborative social change: Foundations, institutions and organizations in public housing reforms. Symposium conducted at the 61st Annual Program Meeting for the Council on Social Work Education, Denver, Colorado.
Rizzuto, T., Brown, M.E., & Singh, P. (2015, April). Building community networks by turning competitors into collaborators. The 30th Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
*Brown, M.E., Iyer, S., & Murray, R. (2015, March). Research partnerships for BCJI. Moderated panel discussion at the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program Spring 2015 Grantee Meeting. Moderator: Daniel Woods, The Police Foundation. Washington, D.C.
*Brown, M.E., & Lagrange, A. (2014, November). Developing and sustaining cross-sector collaborative partnerships. Presented at the U.S. Department of Justice Annual Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Conference, Tampa, Florida.
Rizzuto, T., & Brown, M.E. (2014, July). Connecting people & building community: Using social network analysis and ladders of collaborations to identify common threads that connect community neighbors and non-profits. Presented at the United Neighborhood Centers of America Neighborhood Revitalization Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.
*Brown, M.E., Thornton, C., Hudson, S.B., & Ball, A. (2014, June). Consensus organizing: How to effectively and authentically engage the community. Presented at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Choice Neighborhoods Annual Conference, Arlington, Virginia.
*Brown, M.E. (2014, February). Grant writing skills for social workers in community and school settings. Presented at The American Council for School Social Work National School Social Work Institute, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Brown, M.E. (2014, February). The impact of social capital and engagement in fostering healthy schools and communities. Presented at The American Council for School Social Work National School Social Work Institute, New Orleans, Louisiana.
*= denotes invited speaker
Network for Social Work Management (2016-Present)
Association for Community Organization and Social Administration (2014-Present)
Council on Social Work Education (2014-Present)
Society for Social Work Research (2014-Present)
National Association of Social Workers (2003-Present)
Service to the Profession:
- Committee Member, Association for Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA), National Governance Committee (2018-Present)
- Abstract Reviewer, Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting (2017)
- Branch 2 Representative, National Association of Social Workers Arizona Chapter Board of Directors (2017-Present)
- Abstract Reviewer, Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center 13th Annual Research Conference (2016)
- Ad Hoc Journal Reviewer, Families in Society (2015-Present)
- Ad Hoc Journal Reviewer, Criminal Justice and Behavior (2018-Present)
- Ad Hoc Journal Reviewer, Advances in Social Work (2017-Present)
- Ad Hoc Journal Reviewer, Journal of Community Psychology (2017-Present)
- Ad Hoc Journal Reviewer, Journal of Family Social Work, Special Issue (2016)
- Ad Hoc Journal Reviewer, Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research (2015-Present)
Service to the University:
- Committee Member, PhD Committee, Arizona State University School of Social Work (2018-Present)
- Co-Lead Faculty, SWG 686: Developing Grants & Fundraising, Arizona State University School of Social Work (2016-Present)
- Master Instructor, SWG 585: Macro Social Work Practice (online), Arizona State University School of Social Work (2016-Present)
- Committee Member, Nominating Committee, Arizona State University School of Social Work (2016-2018)
- Lead Faculty, SWU 411: Social Work Practice III, Arizona State University School of Social Work (2016-2018)
- Instructor and Facilitator, Young African Leaders Initiative East Africa Regional Leadership Center, Public Management Concentration, Nairobi Kenya, Arizona State University College of Public Service and Community Solutions (2016-2017)
- Committee Member, Promotion and Tenure, Arizona State University School of Social Work (2016-2017)
- Presenter, Mandela Washington Fellows Program, Civic Leadership Concentration, Arizona State University College of Public Service and Community Solutions (2016)
- Ad Hoc Committee Member, Children, Youth & Families MSW Concentration, Arizona State University School of Social Work (2016)
- Committee Member, Policy, Administration and Community Practice MSW Concentration, Arizona State University School of Social Work (2015-Present)
- Lead Faculty, SWG 608: Ecological Approach to Practice with Children, Youth & Families, Arizona State University School of Social Work (2015-2016)
Service to the Community:
- Task Force Member, Oracle Area Revitalization Task Force, Appointed by the Mayor Rothschild of the City of Tucson (2018-Present)
- Board Member, Prevent Child Abuse Arizona (2016-2017)
- Subject Matter Expert - Community Engagement and Participatory Action Research, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (2016-2017)
- Coalition Member, Pima County Youth Violence Prevention Coalition (2016-Present)
- Peer Reviewer, US Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods (2016)