Student receives fellowship for work in prevention of child abuse, neglect

Jennifer Mullins, a second year doctoral student in the School of Social Work, is the recipient of the Doris Duke Fellowship for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.  

The Doris Duke Fellowships are designed to identify and develop a new generation of leaders interested in and capable of creating initiatives that will advance child abuse prevention practice and policy. Fellows receive an annual stipend of $25,000 for up to two years to support the completion of their dissertation and related research at their academic institution. The fellowship is funded through the Doris Duke Foundation and administered through Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

Mullins has earned bachelor's degrees in psychology and French (2001) and a master’s degree in social work (2004) from ASU. Her research interests include the prevention of child abuse and neglect, foster youth transitioning to adulthood, and pregnancy and parenting among foster youth. She is involved with community agencies that promote the well-being of foster children, including the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation and the Arizona Citizen Review Panel. She also worked as a child welfare specialist with Maricopa County for several years.

“Jennifer is a bright, motivated student who clearly demonstrates social work’s commitment to child welfare," says Cynthia Lietz, assistant professor in the School of Social Work. "Jennifer and I worked on a project that was recently published related to parents’ perceptions of intensive in-home child welfare services. Currently we are working on a project to examine the needs of foster parents."

"I am deeply honored to receive such a prestigious award from the Doris Duke Foundation and Chapin Hall that will allow me to do truly meaningful research to improve our understanding of the cycle of child abuse and neglect among foster youth," Mullins says.