Pamela A. Monroe, PhD
Director and Professor
Lois Canulette & W.A. “Buster” Baker Alumni Professor
Office: 1207A Pleasant Hall
Phone: 225-578-5225 or 225-578-1351
E-mail: pmonroe@lsu.edu
Education
PhD, Child and Family Development, University of Georgia, 1985
MS, Family Studies, University of Kentucky, 1982
BS, Psychology, Francis Marion College, 1978
Brief Biography
Dr. Pamela Monroe is a designated full professor of Child and Family Studies in the School of Social Work at Louisiana State University (LSU), where she has been on faculty since 1988. She holds the PhD in Child and Family Development with a concentration in Public Policy, from the University of Georgia. Prior to joining the faculty at LSU, she served as a policy analyst for 4 years for the Louisiana House of Representatives, Health and Welfare Committee (among others), gaining valuable policy experience and developing important public/non-profit networks in which she still operates today. During her first decade at LSU Dr. Monroe was given opportunities for leadership experience. In 1995-1996 she was a member of Class 5 of the ESCOP/ACOP National Leadership Development Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thereafter, she was invited back to the program for two years as a trainer. In 2002, Dr. Monroe was appointed Associate Dean of the LSU Graduate School, a position she held for 4 years. The opportunity to learn about the institution as an associate dean of a university-level academic (as opposed to administrative) unit was important in her development as a senior faculty member and gave her insights and knowledge about LSU that she has put into the service of colleagues ever since. Dr. Monroe has chaired or served on the committees of more than 50 graduate students at LSU, including serving as major professor for 9 PhD students. She has been a mentor to numerous faculty members in many of the social science and professional units on campus in matters pertaining to curriculum development, program review, and promotion and tenure. She is committed to scholarship and partnership around issues of poverty, race, civic engagement, and marginalized communities, especially communities of color. Dr. Monroe received training in 2013 at the Kettering Foundation to enhance her knowledge of community participatory democracy and civic engagement. Since 2007 she has served as the State Director of the Louisiana Family Impact Seminars, part of a national network of nonpartisan educational seminars offered on a variety of topics to state policymakers, and has served on state and regional poverty and policy taskforces. In 2008, Dr. Monroe was named a Fellow of the National Council on Family Relations.
Dr. Monroe has a substantial publication record as a quantitative scientist and as a qualitative scientist, with more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, dozens of reports and technical reports, and nearly 100 conference presentations and keynote speeches delivered. Her research focuses on public policy issues, primarily related to poverty and welfare reform. Recently, a 2002 research publication co-authored with a former graduate student was cited in an amicus brief submitted to the Supreme Court of the United States in a case pending review and oral arguments by the Court.
Dr. Monroe also serves as a program evaluator for state, local, and nonprofit organizations. She has attracted significant funding for her research and for her evaluation work, having recently helped close out a 5-year, $4.5m SAMHSA project partnering with state agencies on improving services for infant mental health in Louisiana. She served as a senior scientist on a multi-state project (2008-2016) aimed at community development and civic engagement as a means to empowering residents of low-income communities to act on their own behalf to build community capital and improve the economic outlook of their communities. She also participated in similar community development work in Honduras.
Positions and Honors
Current Position: Director of the School of Social Work and Lois Canulette & W.A. “Buster” Baker Alumni Professor of Child and Family Studies and Social Work; faculty line moved from Human Ecology to Social Work in 2006; CFS moved to Social Work in 2012 due to university re-organization.
Previous Positions:
- Interim Dean (2006-07) LSU School of Social Work
- Associate Dean (2002 – 2006) LSU Graduate School
- Carville Professor of Human Ecology (2002-2006)
- Professor (1999-present)
- Associate Professor (1994 -1999)
- Assistant Professor (1/1990 - 1994) Family, Child, and Consumer Sciences, LSU School of Human
- Lecturer in Human Ecology (8/88-12/89)
- Policy Analyst (1985 - 1989)
- Louisiana House of Representatives
Other Leadership Roles and Honors (selected):
- Fellow, National Council on Family Relations
- Past President, National Council on Family Relations
- State Director, Louisiana Family Impact Seminars
- State Chair/Acting Chair, Louisiana Child Poverty Prevention Council (created by the LA Legislature)
- Recipient of 2 named chairs at LSU
- Distinguished Alumni Award, College of Family and Consumer Sciences Alumni Association, University of Georgia (2016)
- Centennial Laureate, University of Kentucky (2007)
- Excellence in Community Development Work – Team, for the project, “Turning the Tide on Poverty” at the annual meetings of the National Association of Community Development Professionals (2011)
Selected Publications
(*graduate student; **undergraduate research student)
White, T.,* Chelladurai, J.M.,* Monroe, P.A., Garand, J.C., Dollahite, D.C., & Marks, L.D. (2018). Kept together by faith: Confession and forgiveness among American Catholic and Orthodox Christian families. Marriage and Family Review Special Issue: Exploring Strengths in American Families of Faith. DOI:10.1080/01494929.2018.1469573 https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2018.1469573
Richard, L.,* Monroe, P.A., & Garand, J.C. (2018). Predicting school social work practice choices. (forthcoming). School Social Work Journal.
Monroe, P.A., Tyler-Mackey, C., Dyk, P.H., Welborn, R. Worthy, S.L., Lowe, C.H.,** & Pickett, N.J.** (2016).Turning the Tide on Poverty: Sustainability of community engagement in economically distressed communities. Community Development. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2016.1165273
Dyk, P.H., Monroe, P.A., Tyler-Mackey, C., Welborn, R., & Worthy, S.L. (2016). Turning the Tide on Poverty: History, theoretical frameworks, and methods. Community Development. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2016.1164734
Worthy, S.L., Downey, L., Dyk, P.H., Monroe, P.A., Tyler-Mackey, C., & Welborn, R. (2016). Turning the Tide on Poverty: Community champions as critical elements of success in economically distressed communities. Community Development. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2016.1167096
Tyler-Mackey, C., Monroe, P.A., Dyk, P.H., Welborn, R., & Worthy, S.L. (2016). Turning the Tide on Poverty: Community climate in economically distressed rural communities. Community Development. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2016.1164206
Worthy, S.L., Tyler-Mackey, C., Dyk, P.H., Monroe, P.A., & Welborn, R. (2016). Turning the Tide on Poverty: Perceptions of leaders and leadership in economically distressed communities. Community Development. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2016.1167098
Welborn, R., Downey, L., Dyk, P.H., Monroe, P.A., Tyler-Mackey, C., & Worthy, S.L. (2016). Turning the Tide on Poverty: Documenting impacts through Ripple Effect Mapping. Community Development. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15575330.2016.1167099
Hunter, D.,* Monroe, P.A., & Garand, J.C. (2016). “Understanding determinants of higher educational attainment among foster care youths.” Child Welfare, 93 (5), 9-26.
Yoo, J., Lim, Y., & Monroe, P.A. (2015). The impact of the earned income tax credit (EITC) on labor, income and poverty among married mothers of the US. Social Science Research Review, 31(4), 211-232.
Vlosky, D.A.,* & Monroe, P.A. (2009). A Study of Participatory Development in a Community Project in Honduras. Social Development Issues: Transnational and Transdisciplinary Research Collaborations.
Monroe, P.A., Tiller,V., O’Neil, C., & Blalock, L.* (2007).“We make our ends meet good:” Coping strategies of former welfare reliant women. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 12, 199-222.
Blalock, L.,* Tiller, V., & Monroe, P. (2004). “They get you out of courage:” Persistent deep poverty among former welfare reliant women. Family Relations, 53, 127-137.
Monroe, P.A. & Tiller, V. R. (2001). Commitment to work among welfare reliant women. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 63, 816-828.
Garand, J. C. & Monroe, P. A. (1995). Family leave legislation in the American states: Toward a model of state policy adoption. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 16, 341-363.
Monroe, P. A., Garand, J. C., & Teeters, H.* (1995). Family leave legislation in the U.S. House: Voting on the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1990. Family Relations, 44, 46-55.
Monroe, P. A. & Garand, J. C. (1991). Parental leave legislation in the U. S. Senate: Toward a model of roll-call voting. Family Relations, 40, 208-218.
Selected Presentations
Monroe, P.A. “Innovations in the Battle Against Poverty.” Master Session given at the 2012, 2011, and 2010 NSW-LA annual meetings, Baton Rouge, LA March 22.
Monroe, P.A. “State and Federal Anti-Poverty Initiatives.” Presentation given at the 2012 LANO Public Policy meetings, Baton Rouge, LA March 8.
2011 – Organizer and presider, panel on families’ response to natural disasters. Annual meetings of the National Council on Family Relations, Orlando FL Nov. 15-18.
2009 – Invited participant and discussant, “Reducing Poverty: Assessing Recent State Policy Innovations and Strategies.” Emory University, Atlanta GA. Nov 19-20.
2009 – Invited participant, panel on the future of poverty research, Groves Conference on Marriage and Family annual meetings, Chapel Hill, NC, June 7-11.
O’Neil, C.E., Perez, M.S.G., Monroe, P.A., & Guarino, A. The Perception of the Louisiana Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program’s Ability to Improve Diet and Other Lifestyle measures of Participants. Paper delivered at the 2009 5th Central European Congress on Food, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, May 19-22.
Monroe, P.A. “Vision for the Louisiana Poverty Center.” Presentation made as part of a panel organized by Timothy Smeeding and including S. Danziger, R. Haskins, J. Iceland, & M. Waters entitled "From Mollie Orshansky to Hurricane Katrina: Population perspectives on 40 years of poverty and anti-poverty policy for families and children." Population Association of America 2008 annual meetings, New Orleans, LA, April 17.
2008 – Lead organizer and presider, Mid-South Delta Region Poverty Summit, with funding support from Southern University-BR, Southern Rural Development Center, LANO, and USDA-ERS. Convened a 2-day summit of poverty researchers from institutions including the USDA-ERS, Cornell University, Syracuse University, Pennsylvania State University, Mississippi State University, Washington University, University of Kentucky, CLASP, RAND, MDRC and state and regional practitioners and non-profit organizations, at Lod Cook Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
2008 – Organizer and presider, panel on proposed changes in the federal poverty measure and the related national and regional poverty centers. Annual meetings of the National Council on Family Relations, Little Rock, AR Nov. 5-8. Also, served as paper discussant for a separate panel at the same meeting.
2008 – Invited participant, national conference on the Economics of Obesity held at Lod Cook Alumni Center, Baton Rouge LA.
Monroe, P.A. “Unanswered Questions about Poverty.” Presidential Address delivered at the 2006 annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, November 11.
Selected Grants/Funded Projects
Monroe, P.A. (2011; 2009; 2008). Proposals to the LSU Graduate School to support Economic
Development Assistantships for doctoral student to work with Entergy Adopt-a-School
project, Istrouma School Zone Initiative; also with the Poverty Data Clearinghouse.
Funded 3 assistantships @ $100,000 each for 4 years; total funding $300,000.
Monroe, P.A. (2011 – 2012). Istrouma School Zone Initiative/Turning the Tide on Poverty.
Funded by Entergy Louisiana as part of their Adopt-A-School program:$74,000.
Monroe, P.A. (2010-2012). Family Impact Seminar funding from the Kellogg Foundation through the University of Wisconsin Policy Institute for a series of four seminars on Vulnerable Children, $72,000.
Co-Organizer, Working Environments Workshop (with funding and support from OxFam America and the Rockefeller Foundation) November, 2010
Monroe, P.A. (2008 – 2011). Turning the Tide on Poverty, multistate poverty project, research and civic engagement, organized through the Southern Rural Development Center at MS State Univ. Funded: $4000 (+ expenses) for pilot year; additional funding for data collection in 2011.
Monroe, P.A. (2010). Family Impact Seminar: Connecting Business to Innovative Strategies for Poverty Reduction: Economic Benefits of Early Childhood Investments. Funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, Pew Center on the States:$15,000.
Monroe, P.A. (2009). Louisiana Parenting Education Network, assessment and instrument development. Funded: $10,000 (6/09-7/09).
Monroe, P.A. (2009-2012). Capital Area Human Services District, data analysis. Funded: $5,000 (4/09). Contract extended to full project management and support for doctoral graduate assistant, $20,000 (9/09-5/10). Contract re-issued for data analysis and evaluation, $14,500 (3/12-8/12).
Monroe, P.A. with King, V. (2008). Proposal to the Frost Foundation to support establishing a statewide poverty data clearinghouse. Funded: $150,000 (6 years).