Research Interests
My research program has four major thrusts: a) to examine systems change processes in the response to social issues (namely, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and juvenile delinquency) and the role of collaborative settings in facilitating such change; b) to explore the experiences of individuals as they navigate complex systems (formal systems such as criminal justice, human service, health care, as well as informal systems such as faith-based settings, sororities, and social networks); c) to investigate the effectiveness of social interventions that aim to alter the contexts of individuals’ lives to promote health and well-being; and d) to examine the gendered nature and context of intimate partner violence.
Research Description
My research program has four major thrusts: a) to examine systems change processes in the response to social issues (namely, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and juvenile delinquency) and the role of collaborative settings in facilitating such change; b) to explore the experiences of individuals as they navigate complex systems (formal systems such as criminal justice, human service, health care, as well as informal systems such as faith-based settings, sororities, and social networks); c) to investigate the effectiveness of social interventions that aim to alter the contexts of individuals’ lives to promote health and well-being; and d) to examine the gendered nature and context of intimate partner violence.
Education
Ph.D. from Michigan State University
Grants
- 2009 Substance Abuse Mental Health Administration Children’s Mental Health Initiative. N. Allen, & M. Aber, Principal Co-Directors of Research Component. $1,800,000 over six years.
- 2006 National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Coordinating the Criminal Justice Response to Intimate Partner Violence: The Role of Collaborative Settings in Producing Systems Change. N. Allen, Principal Investigator. $356,830 funded.
- 2014 System of Care Statewide Expansion Implementation Grant. Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration Children’s Mental Health Initiative via State of Illinois. M. Aber & N. Allen, Principal Co-Directors of Research Component. $541,760 over four years.
- 2015 Champaign County Community Mental Health Board. Evaluation of Mental Health Board Funded Programs. N. Allen & M. Aber, Co-Principal Investigators. $50,000 funded.
Awards and Honors
- 2009/2010 Helen Corley Petit Scholar
- 2003 Graduate Student Organization Instructional Award for Outstanding Teaching and Advising of Graduate Students, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
- 2011 Dazzling Woman Faculty Award, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Women’s Resource Center Annual Awards.
- 2015 Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement for the Psychological Services Center Advocacy Project. Project Director.
- 2015 Fellow, Association for Psychological Science (APS)
- 2016 University Scholar, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
External Links
Academic Service
- 2009/2010 Helen Corley Petit Scholar
- 2003 Graduate Student Organization Instructional Award for Outstanding Teaching and Advising of Graduate Students, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
- 2011 Dazzling Woman Faculty Award, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Women’s Resource Center Annual Awards.
- 2015 Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement for the Psychological Services Center Advocacy Project. Project Director.
- 2015 Fellow, Association for Psychological Science (APS)
- 2016 University Scholar, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Recent Publications
Trawick, E. S., Aber, M. S., Allen, N. E., & Fitts, J. (2019). The strength of youth voice: exploring the influence of youth strength-perspectives on desired outcomes for youth enrolled in system-of-care services. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 47(2), 104-124. https://doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2019.1582146
Fitts, J. J., Aber, M. S., & Allen, N. E. (2019). Individual, Family, and Site Predictors of Youth Receipt of Therapy in Systems of Care. Child and Youth Care Forum. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-019-09504-w
Walden, A. L., & Allen, N. E. (2019). Examining Correctional Staff Members’ Engagement in Rehabilitation as Part of Their Everyday Practices in Short-term Juvenile Detention. American journal of community psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12369
Lehrner, A., & Allen, N. E. (2018). A Qualitative Investigation of the Role of Gender in Young Women’s Dating Violence in the United States. Violence Against Women, 24(14), 1697-1717. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801218754408
Perry, L. A., Dover, T. J., Lancaster, S. L., Allen, N. E., Keel, T. G., & Eliopulos, L. N. (2018). Development of a Sexual Assault Event Typology Based on Event Attributes. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 45(11), 1709-1722. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854818784617
