Michele A. Kelley

Michele A. Kelley, ScD, MSW, MA
Associate Professor, Community Health Sciences

Brief Bio

I am a Social Worker by training (Ohio State University) with a dual degree in public administration and a public health research doctorate in Maternal and Child Health (MCH)(Johns Hopkins University). I have a clinical background in disaster services, child trauma services, domestic violence and community mental health. My public health practice experience includes program planning and evaluation with MCH systems in local communities at the Ohio Department of Health.

Current Research Interests

My research interests center around four interrelated areas: (1) Promoting the health and well-being of adolescents and youth (incorporating early ‘young adulthood’) which includes positive developmental outcomes, as well as traditional risk measures; (2) Exploring social connectedness and community assets in the transition to high school and college; (3) Using participatory methods of inquiry and mixed methods to engage youth as change agents through community inquiry and action research and (4) Capturing community change and community health (capacity) development. This latter area would also relate to collaborative research outcomes (CBPR), and developing youth "pipelines" for health oriented professions in the social and health sciences; thereby potentially increasing community capacity as youth stay connected to their home communities with new skill sets and contribute to Community Health Development (CHD). CHD represents a paradigm shift from an ameliorative risk factor / health behavior approach to a transformative model in which the community ecosystem and built environment foster new norms and supports for healthy living.

Teaching

I teach the Public Health Aspects of Adolescence and Youth and am developing a parallel course for undergraduate and early career public health students. I also co-teach the Best Practices in Maternal and Child Health course. I lecture in other Departments such as the College of Nursing, Social Work, and the Great Cities Institute (CUPPA) and in the Department of Psychology Community & Prevention Research program, where I have a courtesy appointment.

Service

I serve on a number of University and School committees, including fostering faculty and student governance as an active Senator.

I am involved with a variety of community health initiatives and youth serving organizations for program development, governance and evaluation. I have worked with the Greater Humboldt Park Community of Wellness coalition since its inception, and the Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention in Humboldt Park, an initiative affiliated with the Puerto Rican Cultural Center that employs a youth- led and community asset approach to prevent underage drinking.

Nationally, I am Co-Chair for the Qualitative Research Special Interest Group for the Society for Adolescent Medicine. I serve as Co-Chair on the Adolescent Health Committee of the MCH Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). I was also recently elected to Section Councilor for the APHA Social Work Section; and I am a founding member of the APHA affiliated Community-Based Public Health Caucus. Since 2007, I have been part of the national Community of Practice and National Advisory Board for Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Outcomes, Drs. Nina Wallerstein and Bonnie Duran, Principal Investigators (University of New Mexico, University of Washington).

For the Association of Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA), I serve as Chair of the Communications Committee and was recently elected to the Board of Directors. I am on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Community Practice and I serve as a regular reviewer for Social Science and Medicine and other public health related journals.

Selected Publications

• Concha JB, Kravitz HM, Chin MH, Chavez N, Kelley MA, Johnson TP. Review of Type 2 Diabetes Management Interventions for Addressing Emotional Well-Being in Latinos. Submitted to Diabetes Educator. Accepted for Publication 2009.
• Romeo KE. and Kelley M.A. (2009). Incorporating Human Sexuality Content into a Positive Youth Development Framework: Implications for Community Prevention. Children and Youth Services Review, 31:10001-1009. [doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.04.015 ]
• Bozlak CT, and Kelley MA. (In-press, 2009). Youth participation in a community campaign to pass a clean indoor air ordinance. Health Promotion Practice. DOI: 10.1177/1524839908330815; PMID: 19193932
• Wheatley R, Kelley MA, Peacock N, and Delgado, J. (2008).Women’s Narratives on “Quality” in Prenatal Care: A Multicultural Perspective. Journal of Qualitative Health Research. 18: 1586-1598 PMID: 18849519
• Kelley MA, Baldyga W, Barajas F, Rodriguez-Sanchez M. Capturing change in a community–university partnership: the ¡Sí Se Puede! project. Preventing Chronic Disease [CDC serial online] 2005 Apr;2(2):A22. Epub 2005