Faculty

Jomella Watson-Thompson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Applied Behavioral Science

4080 Dole Human Development Center
Department Phone: 785-864-4840
Office Phone: 785-864-0712
Fax: 785-864-5201
E-mail: jomellaw@ku.edu

B.A. Jackson State University (Urban Studies), 2001
M.U.P. University of Kansas (Urban Planning), 2002
M.A. University of Kansas (Applied Behavioral Science), 2005
Ph.D. University of Kansas (Behavioral Psychology), 2007

Undergraduate Specialty Area(s)

Community Health and Development

Undergraduate and Graduate Courses

ABSC 100 Introduction to Applied Behavioral Science
ABSC 150 Introduction to Community Leadership (ABSC 151 Honors)
ABSC 310 Building Health Community (ABSC 311 Honors)
ABSC 690 Practicum in Community Health and Development
ABSC 710 Community Health and Development
Additional Graduate Courses TBA

Research Interests

My research experience has focused on the application of behavioral science methods and interventions to improve how communities address issues related to community health and development. My research team conducts research in affiliation with the Work Group for Community Health and Development, and the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies. My particular interests focus on neighborhood development, healthy youth development, and prevention, including substance abuse and violence prevention. I am currently conducting research to support community capacity-building efforts to address social determinants of health through community-based participatory research in urban neighborhoods and disparate communities.

Specifically, I am interested in examining factors that enable communities, particularly those in urban environments, to effectively bring about change and improvement in community-identified outcomes of concern (e.g., homicides, graduation rates, community participation). A guiding theme for my research has been the empirical/experimental analysis of the effects of community-based processes and intervention to promote community mobilization and change in addressing the interrelated conditions that affect community health. I have begun to explore the effects of single processes (e.g., strategic planning) on enhancing the ability of community initiatives to bring about change and improvement in targeted outcomes (e.g., youth development). I am also interested in establishing a new line of research that examines the effects of key processes (e.g., strategic planning) and supports (e.g., training and capacity building) on organizational behavior.

Students interested in integrating studies in applied behavioral science and community health and development are encouraged to contact Dr. Jomella Watson-Thompson via email.

Representative Publications

Watson-Thompson, J., Fawcett, S.B., & Schultz, J.A. (2008). A framework for community mobilization to promote healthy youth development. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 34, S72-S81.

Watson-Thompson, J., Fawcett, S.B., & Schultz, J.A. (2008). Differential effects of strategic planning on community change in two urban neighborhood coalitions. American Journal of Community Psychology.

Collie-Akers, V., Watson-Thompson, J., Schultz, J.A., & Fawcett, S.B. (in press).  Implementation of a system of supports for a community-based participatory evaluation effort to maximize use of results. Health Promotion Practice.