• Ready to get to work!
  • Posing for a professional headshot.
  • Leading a publication discussion at a mixed methods research workshop at Michigan Medicine.
  • Summer teaching in England.
  • Giving a keynote at Morehouse College.
  • Accepting an outstanding alumni award at Texas A&M University.
  • Speaking with MBA students at the University of Michigan Ross Business School.
  • Speaking at an international men’s studies conference.
  • Thinking about the many ways I can help you and your organization.

For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in maximizing human potential and exploring differences across various dimensions, including race, gender, class, and experience. This fueled my interest in studying Anthropology (B.A., University of North Carolina – Wilmington), Public Health (Ph.D., Texas A&M University), and Business and Strategy (Executive MBA, Quantic School of Business and Technology). My post-doctoral training was in psychology and advanced research methods at the University of Michigan, and I am a certified executive coach for faculty and industry professionals.

I am a University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor and the Letha A. Chadiha Collegiate Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. My research interests and expertise can be grouped into three primary areas: (1) behavioral interventions for historically marginalized groups, (2) mixed methods approaches to research in context, and (3) social impact leadership and organizational management.

Centering the strategies for success among historically marginalized groups, my research aims to maximize human potential, elevate social experiences, and provide equitable impact in communities and organizations. I am a community practitioner interested in developing efficient tools and systems that activate positive, strengths-based outcomes for those most in need. Ultimately, I am committed to conducting and mobilizing cutting-edge, use-inspired research to address important social concerns.

I have held several global leadership positions, including President (2013-2017) and Vice President (2011-2013) of the American Men’s Studies Association (AMSA) and member of the Movember Foundation’s Global Men’s Health Advisory Committee (2018-2021). I also served as the Director of the Joint Ph.D. Program in Social Work and Social Science (2017 – 2018) at the University of Michigan, Founding Director of the Gender and Health (GendHR) Lab (2009 – present), and Director of the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training (2019 – 2023).

I am the Founder of the nonprofit organization kNEWjoy.