RobinHernandez-Mekonnen, PhD, MSW
Education
Ph.D.:University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2012
Major: Social Welfare
MSW: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2002
Major: Social Work
B.A.: University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 1995
Major:Cultural Anthropology
Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Stockton University, Galloway, New Jersey September 2013- present
Graduate Program Academic Coordinator & Learning Community Assistant for the
Master’s in Child Welfare Education Program (MCWEP)
The Child Welfare Education Institute (CWEI)
Adjunct Instructor, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey
June 2015- present
Adjunct Instructor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
December 2010 – June 2013
Adjunct Instructor, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September 2006- May 2011
Adjunct Instructor, Rutgers University, Camden, New Jersey
2007
Adjunct Instructor, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September 2005- May 2006
Practice Experience
Mobile Therapist, Assessment and Treatment Alternatives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 2002-January 2011
Memberships
Center on Immigration and Child Welfare (CICW)
The Council on Social Work Education
The Society for Social Work and Research
Child Welfare League of America
American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children
National Association of Social Workers
National Alliance for Success after Foster Care
Community/Volunteer Service
Stockton University, Faculty Senator, 2015
Stockton University, Galloway
September 2013-present
MSW Marketing and Admissions Committee, Member
MSW Assessment Committee, Member
MSW Curriculum Committee, Member
Graduate Studies Distinguished Research Fellowship Committee, Member
Faculty Advisor, Distinguished Graduate Research Fellowships, The Richard Stockton College of NJ. 2014-present
A Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study of a Community Food Pantry Farm Coop Collaborative.Student grantee, Alyssa Allotta MSW’15
Parents Bereaved by Unintentional Overdose: a Qualitative Research Project. Student grantee, Barbara Edelhauser, MSW ‘15
Parenting Wisely: An implementation of an Evidence Based Parenting Curriculum at a Local Provider Agency, Carleen Bauman, MSW ‘15
Board Member, Secretary, Board of Trustees, Allies in Caring, Inc., Hammonton, NJ
February 2014-present
Center on Immigration and Child Welfare (CICW), University of Illinois, Chicago, IL
October 2013-present
Practice Committee, Co-Chair
Research Committee, Member
Fostering Futures, the Field Center for Policy Practice and Research
University of Pennsylvania
April 2014-Present
Practice and Data Committee
Child Maltreatment, Journal of theAmerican Professional Society on the Abuse of Children
Peer Reviewer, 2015
Council on Social Work Education, 61st Annual Program Meeting Peer Reviewer: Child Welfare, Immigration, Policy, 2015
City of Philadelphia, Department of Human Services
Qualitative Service Reviewer(QSR), 2010-1012
Education Work Group: CHOP Consultant, Fostering Connections Mandate, 2009
Utah Department of Human Services, Division of Children and Family Services, Ogden, Utah
State Qualitative Case Reviewer, 2009
Founder/Director, Capitolo Youth Soccer League, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2008-2013
Consultant, 2014- present
Awards, Fellowships, Grants, and Recognition
Stockton University, Research and Professional Development Grant, Scholarship of Engagement, A Needs Assessment of Former Foster Youth at Stockton. $5,573
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars Pilot Funds 2012, $14,800
Professional Presentations
Hernandez-Mekonnen, R. (2015, February)Immigration and Immigrants: The U.S.’ Paradoxical Response. Panelist and Workshop Facilitator, the Paul Shane Annual Policy Symposium, Georgian Court University, NJ
Crea, T., Hernandez-Mekonnen, R., Rome Harris, S. & Dettlaff, A. (2014, October). Migration and Child Well-Being: At the Border of Immigration and Child Welfare,panel presentation in the Immigrants, Refugees, and Displaced Populations Track,60th Annual Program Meeting (APM) of The Council on Social Work Education, Tampa FL.
Falk, D., Hernandez-Mekonnen, R & Lewis, M. (2014, October). The Child Welfare Education Institute at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, invited electronic poster presentation, Title IVE Child Welfare Track,60th Annual Program Meeting (APM) of The Council on Social Work Education, Tampa FL.
Azar, S., Hernandez-Mekonnen, R., Miller, E., & Johnson, D. (2014, July) Predicting Child Neglect: Additive Contributions of Social Information Processing and Contextual Factors International Family Violence and Child Victimization Research Conference Portsmouth, NH.
Hernandez-Mekonnen, R. & Gelles, R. (2014, June) Our Own Worst Enemies:The Impact of System Factors on Placement Stability. American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC)22nd Annual Colloquium, New Orleans, LA.
Hernandez-Mekonnen, R. (2103, November) Invited Panelist, Child Abuse Panel Discussion Stockton University, Social Work Program & Child Welfare Education Institute
Hernandez-Mekonnen, R. & Bennett, I. (2013, November) Maternal Health Literacy in Mexican Immigrant Mothers and Risk of Developmental Delay in their Children. 2013 North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG), Annual Meeting, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Hernandez-Mekonnen, R. (2013, February) Creating Federal Policy Based on Kid's Stories: The Coalescence of Practice, Policy, and Research.The 2013 Symposium on Influencing Government Policy in Child Welfare. The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.
Duggan, E, Hernandez-Mekonnen, R., Oliveros-Rosen, L., Wortham, S. Ludmir, J. & Bennett, I. (2012, December) Developmental Screening Among Mexican Immigrant Families in New Latino Diaspora Communities. Poster Presentation. 2012 North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG), Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
Matone, M, Mollen, C., Zlotnik, S., Mekonnen, R., O’Reilly, A., & Rubin, D. (2012, January) Children's Stability & Well-Being Study: Assessing Barriers to Educational Success. Poster Presentation. 2012 Society for Social Work Research Conference, Washington DC.
Matone, M, Mollen, C., Zlotnik, S., Mekonnen, R., O’Reilly, A., & Rubin, D. (2011, August) Children's Stability & Well-Being Study: Assessing Barriers to Educational Success. Poster Presentation. 2011 National Child Welfare Evaluation Summit, Children’s Bureau, Washington DC.
Azar, S. & Mekonnen, R. (2011, August). Intellectual Disabilities and Neglectful Parenting: Preliminary Findings on the Role of Cognition in Parenting. Poster Presentation. 2011 National Child Welfare Evaluation Summit, Children’s Bureau, Washington DC.
Mekonnen, R. (2011, July). Dismantling Placement Instability Step by Step: The Philadelphia Case. Research Presentation. APSAC's 19th Annual Colloquium, Philadelphia, PA
Azar, S., Mekonnen, R., & Stevenson, M. (2011, July). Child neglect: A test of social information processing model of etiology. Presentation. APSAC's 19th Annual Colloquium, Philadelphia, PA
Mekonnen, R. (2011, May). Helping Hands: Intergenerational Resource and Information Conference for Caregivers. Invited Panelist by Pennsylvania Senator Anthony H. Williams.
Mekonnen, R. (2009, November). Conceptualizing cross system collaborative research in child welfare. Poster presentation. Council on Social Work Education, Annual Program Meeting. San Antonio, Texas
Mekonnen, R. (2009, February). The Children’s Stability and Well Being Study: Intermediary Findings. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Subcommittee for Child Health: Task Forceon Children in Out of Home Care
Mekonnen, R. (2008, May). National Forum on Children Families and the Courts: Planning for the Future: Plenary Session, “The Unhealthy Truth about Children in Foster Care”. Invited Panelist by Pennsylvania Secretary of Health, Calvin B. Johnson.
Mekonnen, R. (2008 February). The Children’s Stability and Well Being Study: PreliminaryFindings. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Foster care Provider Agency Network Meeting.
Mekonnen, R. (2007, December).Nutrition Resources for At-risk Youth and their Families. Invited guest lecturer, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.
Mekonnen, R. (2007, February). The Case of Child Welfare: Advocacy & Lobbying: Government Intervention into Family Life. Invited guest lecturer, Contemporary Social Policies. University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy and Practice Philadelphia, PA.
Professional Publications
Peer Refereed
Hernandez-Mekonnen, R., Duggan, E., Bennett, I., Oliveros-Rosen, L., Gerdes, M., Wortham, S., Ludmir, J. (2015) Health literacy in unauthorized Mexican immigrant mothers and risk of developmental delay in their children. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. DOI: 10.1007/s10903-015-0284-z
Noonan, K., Matone, M., Zlotnik, S. Hernandez-Mekonnen, R., Rubin, D., & Mollen, C., (2012). Cross-system barriers to educational success for children in foster care: The front line perspective. Children and Youth Services Review. 34:2, 403-408
Mekonnen, R., Noonan, K., & Rubin, D. (2009). Achieving better health care outcomes for children in foster care. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 56(2)
Rubin, D., O’Reilly, A., Downes, K., Mekonnen, R., Localio, Luan, X. (2008). The impact of kinship care on behavioral well-being for children in out-of-homecare. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 162:3.
Under Review
Hernandez-Mekonnen, R., & Gelles, R., Rubin, D. (2015).Our own worst enemies:The impact of system factors on placement stability. Manuscript submitted for review.
Other Publications
Hernandez-Mekonnen, R. (2012).Foster care: An analysis of factors that impact placement stability. University of Pennsylvania. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 232. Retrieved from (1289085505).
Noonan, K. Rubin, D., Mekonnen, R. & Zlotnik, S. (2009). Securing child safety, well-being, and permanency through placement stability for children in foster care. PolicyLab at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute. Evidence to Action. Policy Brief(1)
Kinnevy, S. C., Dichter, M., Mekonnen, R., and Tiger, M. (2003, March). Inclusion of Youth with Disabilities in Youth Programs: A Needs Assessment in Philadelphia. Prepared for the U.S. Department of Labor, Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition and The Philadelphia Youth Network. Center for the Study of Youth Policy, School of Social Work, University of Pennsylvania.
Research Experience
Principal Investigator, Stockton University, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Foster Youth Needs Assessment, 2015-2016
Project Director,University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine,
Factors Influencing Infant-Child Development among Mexican Immigrant Families in New Latino Diaspora Communities, Funded by RWJ Foundation, Health & Society Scholars Program Research and Education Fund,2011-2012
Qualitative Methods Consultant, University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy & Practice, Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS (HOPWA): Needs Assessment, 2012
Project Coordinator, Pennsylvania State University, School of Psychology, Social Cognition Lab, A Study of Parenting (ASOP),funded by NICHD, 2010-2012
Project Director, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The Research Institute, PolicyLab, The Children’s Stability and Well Being Study (CSAW),Funded by NICHD, William Penn and Stoneleigh Foundations, 2006-2010Hernandez-Mekonnen 1Vitae