Assistant Professor
Department of Health Services
Office - Post Hall 114
Phone: (610) 660-1530
Fax: (610) 660 3359
Email: sblack@sju.edu
Education
R.N. Thomas Jefferson University 1977-1981 Diploma in Nursing
B.Sc. (Hons) Plymouth Polytechnic, England 1985-1988 Chemistry and Biology
M.S. Saint Joseph’s University 1992-1996 Health Education
Ph.D. Temple University 1997-2001 Health Studies
Courses Taught
IHS 2101 Introduction to Public Health
IHS 2311 Statistics and Research Methodology
IHS 2481 Health and the School-aged Child
IHS 2531 Nutrition: Health and Disease
IHS 2551 Human Sexuality and Disease
IHS 2591 Planning and Evaluating Health Promotion Programs
IHS 2621 Violence and Aggression
HED/HAD 4025 Health Services Research
HED 6025 Health Education Integrative Capstone
Biography
Dr. Black is a registered nurse with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Health Studies. Her major area of expertise is youth violence prevention. She evaluates programs to reduce and prevent violence, specifically bullying, youth gun carrying, and children’s exposure to domestic violence. Program funders include Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities, Children’s Trust Fund, William Penn Foundation, and Pennsylvania Department of Education. From 2001-2006, Dr. Black conducted one of the longest running independent evaluations of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in the United States. Drawing on her education in nursing, chemistry, and social sciences, Dr. Black developed several novel instruments to measure violence-related incident density and fidelity of implementation for the Olweus Bullying Prevention program. Dr. Black has co-authored eight peer reviewed journal articles, two conference proceedings, nine major grants, and over twenty professional conference presentations.
Research
Youth Violence Prevention
Intentional and unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for people ages 1-44 in the United States. Using methods similar to studying medical treatments, researchers across the globe have studied programs to determine which programs are the most successful in preventing or reducing violence-related injuries. Surprisingly, some of the most commonly used and recognized programs, such as scared straight, boot camps, and DARE do not work. Programs such as Big Brothers/ Big Sisters (mentoring), visiting nurses (parenting education), Life Skills Training (substance abuse prevention), and early childhood education are more effective. Understanding which programs are the most effective and which aspects of a particular program are effective supports the healthy development of all children and helps policy makers determine which programs are best to stop issues such as substance abuse, homicide and suicide. Next steps are to educate communities on evidence-based programs in order that every child and young adult can live a healthy and productive life.
Publications
• Victim strategies to stop bullying co-authored with D. Weinles and E. Washington (in press) in Youth Violence & Juvenile Justice.
• Practitioner recommended practices for children exposed to domestic violence, co-authored with M.B. Davis and S. Dempsey (in press) in Health Promotion Practice.
• Evaluation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: How it can work for inner city kids. Scientific proceedings at 2007 National Conference on Safe Schools and Communities, Washington, D.C. Available at: http://gwired.gwu.edu/hamfish/merlin-cgi/p/downloadFile/d/19136/n/off/other/1/name/005pdf/
• From childhood exposure to adult victimization: Female intergenerational transmission of domestic violence victimization (in press) authored with A. Hausman, S.H. Dempsey, M.B. Davis, & S. Robbins. Family Violence Prevention & Health Practice E-journal available at: http://endabuse.org/health/ejournal/
• Translating the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program into real world practice authored with E. Washington, V. Trent, P. Harner, & E. Pollock (in press) Health Promotion Practice, DOI: 10.1177/1524839908321562.
• Evaluation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in nine urban schools: Effective practices and next steps authored with E. Washington Educational Research Service Spectrum (in press)
• Adolescents’ views of guns in a high-violence community authored with A. Hausman in School Psychology International Journal (2008)
• Using bullying incident density to evaluate the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program authored with E. Jackson in School Psychology International Journal (2007)
• Colorimetric and gas chromatographic determination of total fluoride in toothpastes containing ionic and covalent fluoride authored with G.P. Matthews in Analytical Proceedings (1989)
Theses
A Phenomenological Description of Youth Firearm Carrying (UMI Number 3057059)
Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Alice Hausman
Stress Levels and Dream Interpretation
Thesis Advisors: Drs. Michelle Rowe and Kathleen Quinlisk
The Properties and Actions of Desensitizing Toothapastes
Thesis Advisor: Dr. G. Peter Matthews
Appointments
1993-1994 Clinical Instructor of medical-surgical nursing, Abington School of Nursing, Abington, Pennsylvania
1998-2000 Teaching Assistant of Health Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2000-2005 Adjunct Professor of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2002-2004 Visiting Professor of Health Services, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2004-Present Assistant Professor of Health Services, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
