Home > About > Faculty Profiles > Dorothy Dillard, Ph.D.

Dorothy Dillard, Ph.D.

Dorothy Dillard

Director, Center for Neighborhood Revitalization and Research
IHER Center Community Engagement and Dissemination Core Lead

Campus Address: OSCAR Building, Room 311

Email: ddillard [at] desu.edu

Education

  • Ph.D., Sociology, University of Delaware, 1993
  • M.A., Sociology, University of Delaware, 1987
  • B.S., Sociology, Auburn University, 1985

Research Interests

The overall goal of my research program is to address the entrenched social and health disparities in marginalized communities and groups. My current role as the Director of the CNRR represents the culmination of my research and evaluation activities across a number of inter-related topics driving social and health disparities and allows me to more directly and consistently expand and advance translational research through practice research partnerships. I have established key practice research partnerships in Delaware critical in DSU securing NIH funding for the IHER Center. My current research focuses on the effect of policies on perpetuating systems and practices that contribute to social and health disparities, including the impact of COVID on underserved communities, the factors associated with gun possession among young Black men in four cities, and a follow-up study assessing the long-term impact of participation in a therapeutic community on recidivism and community integration.

Areas of Expertise

  • Program Evaluation
  • Community Engaged Research
  • Research Practice Partnerships
  • Qualitative Data Analysis
  • Survey Design
  • Project Management
  • Grant Writing

Consultation Expertise

Dr. Dorothy Dillard is a seasoned community engaged researcher, and a program evaluation expert committed to building people and organizational capacity to sustain change through data driven decision making. She has over 40 years of consulting and coaching experience and has worked with over 30 organizations, including governmental agencies, nonprofits, foundations, and institutions of higher education. She has garnered over $15 million in federal and private funding to assist social service providers improve and expand programs.

Selected Publications

  • Dillard D, Henderson H, Mangum M, Rice II J, Goldstein A. Unlocking Gun-Violence Solutions: The Necessity and Power of Lived Experience. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2023;7(4), 182-202. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/13729
  • Dillard, D., Billie, M. et al. 2022. The Benefits of Community Research in Creating Place-Based Responses to COVID-19. Delaware Journal of Public Health, Volume 8, Issue 3, pp. 60-64. https://doi.og/10.32481/djph.2022.08.011
  • Tsai, Jack et al. (June 2023). Evaluating Veterans Response Teams and police interventions on veterans’ healthcare utilization. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice.
  • Wang, X.S., N. Bell-Rogers, D. Dillard, M. Harrington. September 2021. COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Delaware’s Underserved Communities. Delaware Journal of Public Health, Volume 7, Issue 4, pp. 168-175.
  • Dillard, Dorothy. January 3, 2016. “Policing America.” Guest Editorial. Delaware News Journal.
  • Dillard, Dorothy. 2016. “Juvenile Justice: Juvenile Court.” Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice.” Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice. Gale Virtual Reference Library. www.gale.com.
  • Dillard, Dorothy. 2013. Limited Disproportionate Minority Discourse May Explain Limited Progress in Reducing Minority Overrepresentation in the US Juvenile Justice System. Youth Justice. 13(3): 207-217.

Grants

  • Agency: National Institutes of Health Dates: 10/01/22-09/30/27, Title: “Interdisciplinary Health Research Center” Role: Community Engagement and Dissemination Core Lead, Amount: $1.15 million
  • Agency: Healthy Communities Delaware Title: Contract with Collaborate NE Dates: 07/01/22 -06/30/24, Role: Community Engagement Lead, Amount: $36,000
  • US Department of Justice Date: 05/01/19-09/30/24, Title: “Project Safe Neighborhood Dover Evaluation”, Role: PI, Amount: $9,600
  • Agency: National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research, Dates: 10/01/20-06/20/24, Title: “Dangerous Recipe”, Role: Co-PI. Amount: $160,000
  • Agency: Delaware Division of Public Health, Role: PI, Dates: 4/15/2024 through 6/30/2024, Amount: $39,600