Research Interests

Dr. Brenda Donnelly is the Director of Research for the Fitz Center for Leadership in the Community. The primary focus of her research interests are subcategories of the sociology of families or the sociology of religion. Research on the family has focused on families in economic distress, young families, adolescent risk-taking, child maltreatment, and adoption. Her specific interests in the sociology of religion include the impact of ideology on social change, the religion/family interface, and the organization of the church. Dr. Donnelly has also been actively involved in the development of effective human service programs to support fragile families and the design of new strategies for effective evaluation of social service programs.

Research and Publications

Most of Dr. Donnelly's publications have focused on families, adolescents, and families in distress. Her research has resulted in two books as well as several chapters in edited volumes. The books are entitled The Challenge of Adolescent Health: Views from Catholic Social Teaching and the Social and Medical Sciences (Dennis M. Doyle, Una M. Cadegan, Teresa L. Thompson, Patricia Voydanoff, and Joan McGuinness Wagner, co-authors) and Adolescent Sexuality and Childbearing (Patricia Voydanoff, co author). She has also authored or co-authored articles which have appeared in Journal of Marriage and Family, Journal of Family Issues, Family Relations, Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Journal of Family Psychology, Family Perspective, Journal of Adolescent Research, and The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

Program Design and Evaluation

Much research has been focused on social service programs designed to ameliorate difficulties faced by young parents. These programs include: Teen ParentLink Outreach in Neighborhoods, ParentLink, FatherLink, and Teen ParentLink are programs of Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley in collaboration with Montgomery County Childrens Services, Montgomery County Combined Health District, Family Services Association and many other local agencies and hospitals. These programs are funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs, Montgomery County Childrens' Trust Fund, United Way funds, The Christ Child Society, and other private donations. Also the SUMA Care Project and Young Fathers' Initiative are programs for young parents throughout Hamilton County under the direction of SUMA (Services United for Mothers and Adolescents). Funding for these projects has come from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs, and the O'Neill Foundation.

Other programs designed to help adolescents to postpone sexual activity and parenting have also been evaluated by Center staff. For example, Teen LifeLink is a multiple-site project under the direction of Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley. It currently derives its funding through TANF-PRC funds; The Assertive and Responsible Teens Program is an after-school pregnancy prevention program carried out by SUMA. in the Cincinnati area. It has received funding through the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs of US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, and other private donations. Elizabeth's New Life Center, Inc. has delivered two school-based programs to young people in the region: Chastity by Choice Program for high school students and the Responsible Social Values Program to middle-school children. These programs are funded in part through Ohio Department of Health funds.

Programs designed to develop the adolescents' assets include the "Teen Voices Project" which is under the direction of the Miami Valley Teen Coalition; "Project Well-Being: Safe Schools/Healthy Students", a program in the Dayton Public Schools; and "Youth Center Programs" of the East End Youth Center.

Dr. Donnelly has also been involved in the efforts of a number of local social service agencies to reduce the chances of family violence and child maltreatment. She developed, for example, the monitoring and evaluation systems used at Erma's House Family Visitation Center. The efforts of this center to intervene on behalf of children in need of protection and support are funded by public sources through Montgomery County Childrens' Services.

For more information contact:
Brenda W. Donnelly, Ph.D.
Fitz Center for Leadership in Community
University of Dayton
Dayton OH 45469-1445

Phone: (937) 229-4651
Fax: (937) 229-3900
Brenda.Donnelly@notes.udayton.edu