David Chavis, Ph.D.
David Chavis is President of the Association for the Study and Development of Community. He is internationally recognized for his work in the implementation, support, and evaluation of community initiatives including a distinguished career award from the American Psychological Association. The primary topics of his work and scientific publications has been the relationship between community development and the prevention of poverty, violence, substance abuse, illness and other social problems through community capacity building. He has lead the evaluation of comprehensive community initiatives concerning substance abuse and community development at the national and local levels for the White House Office for National Drug Control Policy, US Department of Justice, US Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, National Crime Prevention Council, National Cancer Institute, Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and several other national and local foundations.
Dr. Chavis has directed a statewide community development intermediary, the Center for Social and Community Development at Rutgers University--a research organization devoted to the study and support of human services, local government, and community development. Dr. Chavis oversaw technical assistance research, training, and evaluation programs designed to assist communities in implementing strategies that support community social and economic development; prevent violence, adolescent pregnancy, substance abuse, and crime; improve health; and strengthen schools, community organizations and human services. He was responsible for support programs, human service networks, research, training, and consultation services to state, federal, and local governments as well as schools and nonprofit organizations throughout the United States. He worked for several years as director of Research for the Citizens Committee for New York City (CCNYC) where he developed a research based approach to supporting the development of block and neighborhood associations that lead to the organizing and support of thousand of these groups in New York City and replicated in other cities. Dr. Chavis conducted study of issues facing 1,000 neighborhood leaders in New York City and their organization's activities for the New York Daily News and the CCNYC. Dr. Chavis has held full-time tenured professor position at Rutgers University and is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland Department of Psychology. |
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