Darlene Grant, Ph.D.

Country Director and Associate Professor

Before coming to Mongolia as Country Director, Darlene was the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for the University of Texas, tasked with oversight of Graduate recruitment and admissions for the entire university. As a faculty member with the UT-Austin School of Social Work for the past 18 years, she has taught graduate courses in social justice, clinical practice and research methodology, and undergraduate courses in social work and social welfare, social justice practice, and working with at-risk youth in schools. She has directed several funded research projects focusing on juvenile probation, teen pregnancy prevention, and the domestic violence experiences of incarcerated women. She served as principal investigator of an eleven –year study to evaluate the effectiveness of a Girl Scouts  prison visitation program, and in collaboration with a UT-Austin professor of Radio-TV-and Film developed it into a PBS/ITVS documentary film entitled “Troup 1500.”

With a professional social work career that started in 1984 working with abused youth, and later in alcohol and drug rehab and psychiatric hospital units, Darlene was named 2006 Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with 145,000 members). Much of her recent social work focuses on incarcerated women and their children.

From 2009-2011, she took a leave of absence from the university to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cambodia where she taught in a Regional Teacher Training Center. Darlene joined Peace Corps/Mongolia on a second leave of absence, in July 2012.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Professional Interests

Women with addiction problems and their perinatally drug-exposed children, family systems, child sexual abuse, adolescent psychiatric issues, computer-based interactive learning, recruitment and retention of traditionally underrepresented populations in higher education.

Education

• Ph.D., University of Tennessee at Knoxville
• M.S.S.A., Case Western Reserve University
• B.A., Wittenberg University

Teaching History

Faculty Research

• Evaluating Group Intervention on Juvenile Justice Clients’ Understanding of Parental Incarceration
• Evaluation of Enterprising Girl Scouts Beyond Bars (2008)
• Evaluation of the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program at Lifeworks (2001)
• Evaluation of Texas Juvenile Probation Commission In-Home Services Program (1999)
• Child Care Collaboration and Outcome Evaluation Project (1997)
• Strengthening Homes in Partnership (SHIP) (1996)
• School-Age Pregnancy and Prevention Research Project (1995)

Faculty Publications

PRESS RELEASES

“I am a Social Worker” article from the Alcalde (PDF)

The University of Texas at Austin Invites Academic Stars To Explore Controversial Topics To Enlighten Freshman Class

Beyond Bars: Special Girl Scout troop helps young women connect with their mothers in prision.

Social Work professor appointed associate dean of graduate studies at University of Texas at Austin

Darlene Grant, PhD, LCSW Recognized as 2006 NASW Social Worker of the Year (PDF)

University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work Faculty Member Honored with Rosa Parks Award (PDF)

REPORTS

Report of the Task Force on Racial Respect and Fairness (PDF)