“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”
– Maya Angelou

My name is Daphne C. Watkins. I am a professor, author, executive coach, and strategist extraordinaire 🙂

I hold several appointments at the University of Michigan, such as University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor and the Letha A. Chadiha Collegiate Professor of Social Work at the School of Social Work. I am also the inaugural director of the Master of Arts in Social Impact Leadership and a Faculty member in the Sanger Research Lab at the Ross School of Business.

I teach graduate-level courses on mixed methods research, social equity, community-based interventions, and social impact leadership and management.

I am the founding director of the Certificate Program in Mixed Methods Research, Mixed Methods Essentials, the Gender and Health Research (GendHR) Lab, and the award-winning Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health (YBMen) Project. 

When I am not working on my university assignments, I serve as director of the Research Leadership Institute, which offers leadership and management workshops and executive coaching services to research entities and social impact leaders across North America.

I am also the Founder and Board Chair of the nonprofit organization KNEWjoy.