Jeff Jenson
Contact:
Philip D. and Eleanor G. Winn Professor for Children and Youth at Risk.
Associate Dean for Research
PhD, University of Washington
Craig Hall, Room 476
Telephone: 303-871-2526
E-mail: Jeffrey.Jenson@du.edu
Areas of interest:
- high-risk youth
- adolescent problem behavior
- school-based prevention
- evidence-based practice
Prof. Jeff Jenson is the Philip D. and Eleanor G. Winn Professor for Children and Youth at Risk, and he serves as GSSW’s Associate Dean for Research. His research interests address the etiology and prevention of childhood and adolescent problems of bullying, aggression, school dropout and juvenile delinquency. His research focuses on the application of a risk and resilience approach to preventing childhood and adolescent health and behavior problems and on the evaluation of prevention strategies aimed at promoting positive youth development.
Prof. Jenson has published four books and numerous articles on the topic of adolescent problem behavior. He is currently principal investigator of the Bridge Project Afterschool Project, a longitudinal investigation aimed at improving academic and behavioral outcomes among children and youth residing in four Denver public housing communities. Social Policy for Children and Families: A Risk and Resilience Perspective, which he co-edited, received the 2006-08 Social Policy Award for Best Edited Volume from the Society for Research on Adolescence.
Prof. Jenson has received numerous awards for his scholarship, including the 2009 Aaron Rosen Award from the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). He was elected to a three-year term on the SSWR Board of Directors in 2010. Recipient of the University of Denver Distinguished Scholar Award in 2003, Prof. Jenson also received the University Lecturer Award in 2007. He was Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Social Work Research, from 2004 to 2008. In 2011, Prof. Jenson was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
"The individual and social costs of adolescent problem behaviors like aggression, substance abuse and school failure are too high in our country. I have a personal goal to see more social work practitioners and researchers involved in efforts to promote healthy behaviors and prevent problems among young people."
