Wendy Wolfersteig
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Phone: 602-496-1086
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Mail Code 5120 400 E. Van Buren, Suite 800 Phoenix, AZ 85004
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Dr. Wendy L. Wolfersteig is a Research Professor Emerita with the Arizona State University School of Social Work. She continues to be affiliated with ASU Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (SIRC) where she was Director of the Office of Evaluation and Partner Contracts until December 2023. For over 25 years at ASU, her work in substance abuse prevention and evaluation in Arizona focused on the use of effective evidence-based strategies and data-driven decision-making. She works with state, county, city and local agency and coalition partners to design and perform evaluations, provide trainings and disseminate findings aimed at preventing, reducing and eliminating health disparities.
Her community based participatory research addresses health equity with underserved populations and diverse subgroups. Specifically, this includes research on health effects stemming from risk and protective factors around social determinants such as food and housing, social support and isolation, and traumatic childhood and adult experiences. Recent community-based projects collected and analyzed data on social and health needs of Latino, American Indians and African Americans in Arizona around the impacts of COVID-19; evaluated county and state opioid prevention programs; and tested the efficacy of a child abuse and neglect curriculum for preK to 12th grade students.
Dr. Wolfersteig was appointed as a member of the City of Phoenix, Fast-Track Cities Initiative Ad-Hoc Committee and served as a member of the Arizona Prevention Workgroup and Epidemiology Workgroup. She completed four years (including president) on the board of the Arizona Evaluation Network (AZENet) and received the 2021 Allison Titcomb Award for outstanding service to AZENet and the profession. The ASU School of Social Work selected her for its 2025 Distinguished Community Faculty Impact Award.
- Ph.D. Higher Education Administration, Univeristy of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- M.Ed. Education Administration, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
- B.S.Ed. Secondary Social Studies, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
Wolfersteig, W., Diaz, M.J., & Moreland, D. (2022, September 20). Empowering youth to speak up and be safe: Testing the effects of a school-based prevention program developed to disrupt child abuse for elementary and middle school youth. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 11856. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191911856
Sheehan, C., Gotlieb, E., Ayers, S., Tong, D., Oesterle, S., Vega-López, S., Wolfersteig, W., Ruelas, D.M., & Shaibi, G. (2022, June). Neighborhood conditions and type 2 diabetes risk among Latino adolescents with obesity in Phoenix. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19(13) doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137920
Ignacio, M., Oesterle, S., Mercado, M., Carver, A., Lopez, G., Wolfersteig, W., Ayers, S., Ki, S., Hamm, K., Parthasarathy, S., Berryhill, A., Evans, L., Sabo, S., Doubeni, C. (2022, March, online). Narratives from African-American/Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic/Latinx community members in Arizona on covid-19 vaccines and vaccination uptake. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. doi: 10.1007/s10865-022-00300-x
Gutiérrez, M., Brooks-Hawkins, J., Hassan, K. & Wolfersteig, W. (2022, March). Relationship of health rating and stigma among people living with HIV/AIDS: A community study. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. 9(98), https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01086-8
Talmage, C. A., Mercado, M., Yoder, G., Hamm, K., & Wolfersteig, W. (2021). Critiquing indicators of community strengths in community health needs assessments. International Journal of Community Well-Being, 5, 157-178. doi.org/10.1007/s42413-020-00106-2
Diaz, M.J., Wolfersteig, W., & Moreland, D. (2021). Assessing the effects of Childhelp’s Speak Up Be Safe child abuse prevention curriculum for high school students. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma, 14(3). doi.org/10.1007/s40653-021-00353-1 (after publication of this article, Childhelp’s Speak Up Be Safe program was listed as having “promising research evidence” by the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare)
Diaz, M., Wolfersteig, W., Moreland, D., Yoder, G., Dustman, P. & Harthun, M.L. (2021). Teaching youth to RESIST abuse: Evaluation of a strengths-based child maltreatment curriculum for high school students. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma, 14(4). doi: 10.1007/s40653-020-00304-2
Talmage, C. A., Figueroa, H.L. & Wolfersteig, W.L. (2018 Fall/Winter). Perceptions of expanded shared use of schools: A mixed method examination of pathways and barriers to community well-being. School Community Journal, 28(2), 297-319.
Talmage, C. A., Figueroa, H.L. & Wolfersteig, W.L. (2018, Spring). Cultivating a culture of health in the southwest: Linking access and social determinants to quality of life amongst diverse communities. Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, 40(4). 397-432.
Wardian, J., Wolfersteig, W., & Schepel, E. (2013). Alcohol consumption in diverse populations: How ethnicity moderates average drinks per day and age. Journal of Substance Use. 18(3), 229-237. doi: 10.3109/14659891.2012.721445
Wardian, J., Robbins, D., Wolfersteig, W., Johnson, T., & Dustman, P. (2013). Validation of the DSSI-10 to measure social support in a general population. Research on Social Work Practice, 23(1), 100-106. doi:10.1177/1049731512464582.
Lucio, J. & Wolfersteig, W. (2012). The political and social incorporation of public housing residents: Challenges in HOPE VI community development. In Community Development. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 43(4), 476-491.
Rendón, L.I., Gans, W.L., & Calleroz, M.D. (1998, Fall). No pain, no gain: The learning curve in assessing collaboratives. In D. McGrath (Ed.), New directions for community colleges. Creating and benefiting from institutional collaboration: Models for success. 103. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, Inc.
Some Recent Awards
Addressing Health Disparities Related to Substance Use Disorder. (2022-2023). Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). Co-PI.
COVID-19 Health Disparities Grant. (2021-2022). Mayo Clinic in subcontract from ADHS/CDC. Principal Investigator.
Academic Detailing. (2021-2022). Arizona Department of Health Services. (GR41118). Co-PI.
MCDPH - OMH Health Literacy/HHS. (2021-2022). Maricopa County Department of Public Health. Co-PI.
Maricopa County COVID focus groups. (2021). Maricopa County Department of Public Health. Principal Investigator.
Overdose Data to Action Evaluation Services. (2019-20). Principal Investigator. Arizona Department of Health Services.
2MATCH. (2018-2020). Principal Investigator. Dignity Health.
Childhelp Hotline. (2018-2021). Principal Investigator. Childhelp.
Coordinated Maricopa County Community Health Assessment. (2018-2020). Principal Investigator. Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
Childhelp Curriculum Development, Evaluation and RCT. (2015-2020). Principal Investigator. Childhelp, Inc. and Arizona Department of Child Safety.
ADHS Prescription for States, Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention. (2017-2019). Principal Investigator. Arizona Department of Health Services.
Training Plan for Using Data to Empower Arizona Communities. (2017-2018). Principal Investigator. Arizona Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family.
Evaluation for College and Career Readiness Program. (2017-2019) Principal Investigator. U.S. Department of Education. Phoenix Indian Center.
AmeriCorps Opioid. (2017). Principal Investigator. Arizona Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family.
Native Youth Community Project. (2016-2020). Principal Investigator. Gila River Indian Community.
Healthy Families Healthy Youth Evaluation. (2016-2018). Principal Investigator. Arizona Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family.
Smoking Cessation Opportunities for Public Housing Residents Whitepaper. (2017). Principal Investigator. American Lung Association.
Home Visiting Program. (2016-2019) Principal Investigator. Native Health.
Capacity Building - Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. (2015-2019) Principal Investigator. Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
Area Agency on Aging Needs Assessment. (2016-2017) Principal Investigator. Arizona State University Foundation/Area Agency on Aging, Region 1.