Daphne C. Watkins

Daphne C. Watkins is a University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor and the Letha A. Chadiha Collegiate Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan. She specializes in three interconnected areas of expertise: (1) behavioral interventions for historically underrepresented groups; (2) mixed methods approaches to research in context; and (3) social impact leadership and organizational management.

For two decades, Watkins has developed deep expertise in research design, community collaboration and systems thinking. Her career trajectory reflects a strategic evolution from individual-level interventions to organizational and systems-level leadership development. She is a strategic leader and community practitioner dedicated to building organizational capacity and developing efficient tools, systems and frameworks that activate positive, strengths-based outcomes and create equitable impact in communities and organizations. Her leadership and management research examines the impact of executive coaching and professional development on social impact leaders, focusing on the role of leadership development in enhancing their effectiveness

Watkins is the founding director of the Gender and Health Research (GendHR) Lab, the Certificate Program in Mixed Methods Research, and the award-winning Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health (YBMen) Project, which leverages technology to provide education and social support for young Black men. She teaches graduate-level courses on research methods, social impact leadership, community-based interventions and organizational management, with a focus on translating research into practice and humanizing strategy. She serves on multiple committees and advisory boards, both domestically and globally, including the board of the Network for Social Work Management.