Jenni W. Owen
Connect with Jenni
About Jenni
Owen works with government; non-profit; and university stakeholders to enhance the use of research to inform and positively affect policy and practice; particularly on issues concerning disadvantaged and vulnerable children and families. In addition to teaching and advising undergraduates and graduate students; she directs the North Carolina Family Impact Seminar; a legislative education initiative; and co-directs the Duke University School Research Partnership. From 2008-2014; she was the director of the University-Based Child and Family Policy Consortium. Owen is the principal investigator for an Oak Foundation-funded effort focused on non-profit capacity building and a John Rex Endowment project on children’s positive mental health. From 2003-2008; she was the PI for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation’s Professional Development Initiative. She has served as a consultant to the University of North Carolina system; the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation; and the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers. In 2007 she was awarded an Eisenhower Fellowship to South Africa and in 2010 launched DukeEngage Durban (South Africa); an annual immersive service program for undergraduates.
Contributions
No Jargon Podcast
In the News
Publications
Addresses the causes and consequences of school dropout, explains differences among multiple types of dropout rates, and highlights research-based strategies for decreasing the dropout rate with an emphasis on building schools’ and school systems’ capacity; produced in conjunction with the 2008 NC Family Impact Seminar.
Targets a policymaker audience, examining what research says about adolescent brain development and the implications of this research for juvenile justice policy, specifically the age of juvenile jurisdiction. Provides policy options for how best to care for and process juveniles in the justice system. Produced in conjunction with the 2007 NC Family Impact Seminar.
Reviews the state of knowledge about evidence-based policy, provides guidance on how to assess evidence, and presents options for policymakers across the political spectrum to consider in striving to enhance the extent to which their decisions are informed by evidence; produced in conjunction with the 2009 NC Family Impact Seminar.
Includes a compendium of alternatives to suspension and brief profiles of examples of where alternatives to school suspensions are in place. Acquaints school districts with a range of approaches to school discipline. Some are proven, others are promising. All have the potential to foster better school climates and better student outcomes.
Proposes a set of policy options developed in conjunction with the 2010 NC Family Impact Seminar, a legislative education initiative. Highlights research-based, cost-effective strategies for addressing high rates of school suspension that have implications for students and schools in North Carolina and beyond.