Marlo A. Perry earned her Ph.D. in School, Community, and Clinical Child Psychology and her M.S.Ed. in Psychological Services from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Research Associate Professor in the School of Social Work’s Child Welfare Education and Research Programs (CWERP). Dr. Perry also serves as the Director of Research and Evaluation for CWERP and oversees all research and evaluation projects across the CWERP continuum, which includes Title IV-E programs and the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center.
Dr. Perry is interested in how large-scale, system-wide applied research can inform policy and practice in order to benefit vulnerable children and families. Her specific research interests include the following three areas: (1) the enhanced rigor of Pennsylvania’s training for child welfare professionals, particularly the evaluation of simulation training, team-based learning, and transfer of learning to the field, (2) the successful implementation of evidence-based practices within the child welfare context, and (3) the measurement and cultivation of emotional intelligence competencies in child welfare professionals, particularly as they relate to well-being and commitment to the field.
Funded Projects:
- University of Pittsburgh, Center on Race and Social Problems: Supporting Superwomen: Emotional Labor, Gendered Racial Microagressions, and the Superwoman Schema in Black Female Child Welfare Professionals. 2021-2023
- University of Pittsburgh, Center for Interventions to Enhance Community Health (CiTECH): Stronger Collaboration with Intensive Family Coaching: A Pilot Study. 2020-2021
- University of Pittsburgh, Steven Manners Faculty Development Award: Emotional Awareness in Child Welfare Professionals and its Relationship with Emotional Variability, Compassion Satisfaction, and Commitment to the Field: A Pilot Study Utilizing Ecological Momentary Assessment. 2019-2021
Accepting Graduate Students: Yes
Students working with me will be involved in projects examining child welfare workforce issues around training, development, retention, and/or well-being.
Perry, M. A., Rauktis, M. E., & Cahalane, H. (2021). a principles-based approach to evaluating family engagement group strategies: Lessons from a IV-E Waiver Demonstration Project. Journal of Public Child Welfare, DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2021.1931629
Perry, M. A., Creavey, K., Arthur, E., Chance, J., Lundgren, P. J., & Rivera, I. (2020). Cultivating emotional intelligence in child welfare professionals: A systematic scoping review. [Special Issue] Child Abuse & Neglect.
Perry, M.A. & Rauktis, M. E. (2018). Fostering “Belonging-ness”: The role of private foster care agencies with foster parents and youth. In E. Trejos & N. Trevino (Eds.), Handbook of Foster Youth (pp. 427-443). Abingdon, UK: Routledge/Taylor & Francis.
Perry, M. A., & Fusco, R. A. (2013). Child welfare practice in a systems of care framework. In H. Cahalane (Ed.), Contemporary issues in child welfare practice (pp. 1-15). New York: Springer.
Bradley-King, C., Perry, M. A., & Donohue, C. (2013). Race, racial disparity, and culture in child welfare. In H. Cahalane (Ed.), Contemporary issues in child welfare practice (pp. 159-181). New York: Springer.
Perry, M. A., Miller, Y. S., Fusco, R., & Fantuzzo, J. (2013). Parent voices: An investigation of the response process validity of the Child Behavior Checklist with Head Start parents. NHSA Dialog, 16 (2), 75-89.
Perry, M. A., & Fantuzzo, J. (2010). A multivariate investigation of maternal risks and their relationship to low-income, preschool children’s competencies. Applied Developmental Science, 14 (1), 1-17.
Fantuzzo, J., Fusco, R., Mohr, W., & Perry, M.A. (2007). Domestic violence and children’s presence: A population-based study of law enforcement surveillance of domestic violence. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 331-340.
Fantuzzo, J., Stevenson, H., Abdul-Kabir, S., & Perry, M. A. (2007). An investigation of a community- based intervention for socially isolated parents with a history of child maltreatment. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 81-89.
Fantuzzo, J., Perry, M.A., & Childs, S. (2006). Parent Satisfaction with Educational Experiences Scale: A multivariate examination of parent satisfaction with early childhood education programs. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21, 142-152.
- Child welfare
- Workforce development
