Daphne C. Watkins
University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, Director, Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center, Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work, Faculty Associate, Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research
Daphne C. Watkins is a Diversity and Social Transformation Professor at the University of Michigan who studies: (1) behavioral interventions for historically marginalized groups; (2) mixed methods approaches to research in context; and (3) leadership development and organizational structures.
Centering the strategies for success among historically marginalized groups, Professor Watkins’ research aims to maximize human potential, elevate social experiences, and provide equitable impact in communities and organizations. She is a community-practitioner interested in developing efficient tools and systems that activate positive, strengths-based outcomes for those most in need. Ultimately, she is committed to conducting and mobilizing cutting-edge, use-inspired research to address important social concerns.
In addition to directing the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training, Professor 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 mental health education and social support for young Black men. She teaches graduate-level courses on research methods, social equity and equality, and community-based interventions. She also serves on committees and advisory boards aimed at improving men’s health equity both domestically and globally.
Research Interests/Focus
Behavioral interventions; equity; marginalized groups; mixed methods; leadership development; strategy and efficiency; organizational structures
Continuing Education
Contact Information
| Phone | Room | Address | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (734) 647-4072 | daphnew@umich.edu | University of Michigan School of Social Work 1080 S. University Ann Arbor, MI 48109 |
Education
| Year | Degree | School | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | PhD | Health Education | Texas A&M University, College Station, TX |
| 2002 | BA | Anthropology & French | University of North Carolina, Wilmington |
Websites
| The Curtis Center |
| The Gender and Health Research (GendHR) Lab |
| The YBMen Project |
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Williams, E. G. & Watkins, D. C. (2020, January). “Black Boys Perceptions of Depression and Mental Health: Findings from the YBMen Project.” Presented as part of the symposium titled: Black/African American Boys in Context. Society for Social Work Research 24th Annual Conference. Washington, DC. |
| 2020 | Goodwill, J. R., & Watkins, D. C. (2020, January). Everyday Discrimination and Suicide Ideation Among African American Men: Examining Depressive Symptoms as a Mediator. Society for Social Work Research 24th Annual Conference. Washington, DC. |
| 2019 | Goodwill, J. R., Watkins, D. C. (2019, January). Maladaptive Copings Behaviors, Self-Compassion, and Suicide Ideation in Black College Students. Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 23rd Annual Conference. San Francisco, CA. |
| 2019 | Watkins, D. C. (2019, March). Successful Prevention and Early Intervention Strategies Rooted in Social Media. Strategic Discussion on Mental Health for Boys and Men of Color. Mental Health California. The California Endowment, Sacramento, California. |
| 2018 | Michigan State University's Making Relationships Work: A Summit on Black Male Academic Success and Inclusion |
| 2018 | Watkins, D. C. (2018, January). I Dream a World... Presentation for the 2nd Annual "Brief and Brilliant" Session. Society for Social Work Research 22nd Annual Conference. Washington, DC. |
| 2018 | Goodwill, J. R. & Watkins, D. C. (2018, January). Does Adherence to Masculine Norms Predict Depressive Symptoms in Black College Men? Society for Social Work Research 22nd Annual Conference. Washington, DC. |
| 2018 | Johnson, N. C., & Watkins, D. C. (2018, January). A Masculinity and Mental Health Scale for Young Black Men: Findings from an Exploratory Factor Analysis. Society for Social Work Research 22nd Annual Conference. Washington, DC. |
| 2018 | Goodwill, J. R., Allen, J. O., & Watkins, D. C. (2018, January). What Does Race Mean to Young Black Men? Findings from the YBMen Project. Presented as part of the symposium titled: To be Young and Black: Using Intervention to Examine How Black Parents and Youth Make Meaning of Racialized Experiences. Society for Social Work Research 22nd Annual Conference. Washington, DC. |
| 2017 | Watkins, D. C. (2017, July). Turning your mixed methods thesis or dissertation into publications. Michigan Mixed Methods Research and Scholarship Program (M3RSP). University of Michigan Department of Family Medicine. |
| 2017 | Watkins, D. C. (2017, October). The gender epidemic: What to do when the diagnosis is clear but the treatment is not. Radcliffe Institute Science Symposium. Harvard University. |
| 2017 | Watkins, D. C. (2017, November). The YBMen Project to Improve Mental Health, Masculinities, and Social Support for Young Black Men. University of Toronto, School of Social Work. |
| 2017 | Watkins, D. C. (2017, November). The Social Evolution of Young Black Men: Understanding Mental Health, Manhood, and Social Support through the YBMen Project. Black Center for AIDS Prevention (Black CAPTO). |
| 2017 | Watkins, D. C. (2017, December). From Angry Black Men to #BlackBoyJoy: The Evolution of Mental Health and Manhood Among Young Black Men. Columbia Populations Research Center. Columbia University. |
| 2017 | Goodwill, J. R., Johnson, N. J., Allen, J. O., & Watkins, D. C. (2017, January). How Do Young Black Men Cope with Mental Health Challenges? Findings from the YBMen Project. Society for Social Work Research 21st Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA. |
| 2017 | Allen, J. O., Goodwill, J. R., Anyiwo, N., & Watkins, D. C. (2017, April). How race affects mental health of black men: Voice from the Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health (YBMen) Project. American Men's Studies Association 25th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference. Ann Arbor, MI. |
| 2017 | Watkins, D. C. (2017, January). How Does Media Influence Young Black Men's Conceptualization of Masculinity? Findings from the YBMen Project. Society for Social Work Research 21st Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA. |
| 2017 | Watkins, D. C. (2017, March). The Nuts and Bolts of Developing a Strong Book Proposal for the Mixed Methods Series. Mixed Methods International Association Regional Conference in the Caribbean. Montego Bay, Jamaica. |
| 2017 | Goodwill, J. R., Watkins, D. C., & Mattis, J. (2017, April). Masculinity and Depression in Black College Men. American Men's Studies Association 25th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference. Ann Arbor, MI. |
| 2016 | Bidwell, L., Watkins, D. C., Helton, J., & Gioia, D. (2016, November). Mixed Methods in Social Work: Enhancing Education, Research, and Practice. Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting. Atlanta, GA. |
| 2016 | Watkins, D. C. (2016, April). Family support for psychological distress among older, church-going African American men: A modified mixed methods design. Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) Annual Meeting, Bethesda, MD. |
| 2016 | Watkins, D. C., Allen, J. O., & Goodwill, J. R. (2016, January). A Facebook intervention to improve mental health and social support for young black men: The Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health (YBMen) Project. Society for Social Work Research 20th Annual Conference, Washington, DC. |
| 2015 | Allen, J. O., Griffith, D. M., & Watkins, D. C.(2015, November). It really relies on the wife to get men to eat healthy: African American men's and women's perceptions of how wives influence men's eating behavior and dietary health. American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting, Chicago. IL. |
| 2015 | Allen, J. O., Watkins, D. C., & Goodwill, J. R. (2015, November). Black college men's perceptions of mental health and depression: Preliminary findings from the Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health (YBMen) Study. American Public Health Association (APHA), Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. |
| 2015 | Watkins, D. C. (2015). Invited speaker at symposium, "Young, Gifted and @Risk", School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. |
| 2015 | Watkins, D. C.. (2015, January). Symposium Discussant. The doors of the church are open: Contextualizing black churches as a place and space for mental health and longevity among African Americans. Society for Social Work Research 19th Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. |
| 2015 | Akinyemi, E, Watkins, D. C., Kavanagh, J., Johnson-Lawrence, V., Lynn, S., & Kales, H. C. (2015, January). Interpreting language used by older African Americans to describe depression in light of DSM criteria. At the symposium entitled: The doors of the church are open: Contextualizing black churches as a place and space for mental health and longevity among African Americans. Society for Social Work Research 19th Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA. |
| 2015 | Mitchell, J. A., Wharton T., Watkins, D. C.. , & Kales, H. C. (2015, January). ’There's no depression in the walk’: A qualitative analysis of how older black women define and discuss depression in the context of their spirituality. At the symposium entitled: The doors of the church are open: Contextualizing black churches as a place and space for mental health and longevity among African Americans. Society for Social Work Research 19th Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA, |
| 2015 | Watkins, D. C., Wharton T., Mitchell, J. A., Matusko, N. & Kales, H. C. (2015, January). A mixed methods study of family support and mental health outcomes among older, church-going African American men. At the symposium entitled: The doors of the church are open: Contextualizing black churches as a place and space for mental health and longevity among African Americans. Society for Social Work Research 19th Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. |
| 2015 | Wharton T., Watkins, D. C.. Mitchell, J. A., & Kales, H. C. (2015, January). “’Oh I'm not going to discuss this with him’: Older African-American church community members' expectations of formal mental health care providers.” At the symposium entitled: The doors of the church are open: Contextualizing black churches as a place and space for mental health and longevity among African Americans. Society for Social Work Research 19th Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, |
| 2015 | Mitchell, J. A., & Watkins, D. C.. (2015, January). Self-reported depression and emotional distress for older African American men across intersecting contexts. Society for Social Work Research 19th Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. |
| 2015 | Mitchell, J. A., Shires, D. A., & Watkins, D. C.. (2015, January). Oncologists overlook older African American men's psychosocial needs after a new cancer diagnosis. Society for Social Work Research 19th Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. |
| 2014 | Watkins, DC. (2014, June). Lessons learned from the implementation and evaluation of an online mixed methods research continuing education program for social workers. Mixed Methods International Research Association Inaugural Conference, Boston, MA. |
| 2008 | Watkins, D. C., & Neighbors, H. W. (2008, March). Insight before we act: Exploring what "mental health" means to young black men. On the panel titled, A Developmental Look at the Intersection of Race and Gender in Psychopathology of the 2008 Society for Research on Adolescence, Biennial Meeting in Chicago, IL. |
| 2007 | Watkins, D. C. (2007, August). Media and cultural stereotypes. Presented at the NIH/UNM Mentorship and Education Program Training Institute in Mental Health Services Research, Albuquerque, NM. |
| 2007 | Watkins, D. C. (2007, January). Black college men and mental health: A time for action. Presented at the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference (SBSLC). College Station, TX. |
| 2006 | Watkins, D. C. (2006, November). Using your past job experience to develop your future career. Guest Speaker for Psychology Course: Citizenship for Engagement, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. |
| 2006 | Watkins, D. C. (2006, April). Mental health: It's not really 'health' is it? Presented at the Sterling C. Evans Library Presentation, Texas A&M Univeristy, College Station, TX. |
| 2006 | Watkins, D. C. (2006, March). Public speaking and the media. Presented at the NIMH/UNM Mentorship and Education Program Training Institute in Mental Health Services Research, Albuquerque, NM. |
| 2006 | Watkins, D. C. (2006, March). Life events and their impact on the mental health of young black men: A qualitative study. Presented at the NIMH/UNM Mentorship and Education Program Training Institute in Mental Health Services Research. Albuquerque, NM. |
| 2006 | Watkins, D. C. (2006, March). The mental health of young black men: The impact of stressful life events. Presented at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin Minority Scholars Program. |
| 2006 | Watkins, D. C. (2006, March). Choosing a research focus in graduate school. Presented at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin Minority Scholars Program. |
| 2006 | Watkins, D. C. (2006, February). Building and maintaining strong mentors. Presented at the Center for the Study of Health Disparities Publication Workshop, College Station, TX. |
| 2006 | Watkins, D. C., Sharf, B., Rowell, K., Rivers, D., Roberts-Perez, S., Sarabia, M., et al. (2006, May). Hearing their voices: Issues that affect patient health literacy. Presented at the 2006 Society for Public Health Education Mid-year Scientific Conference, Las Vegas, NV. |
| 2006 | Rivers, D., Rivers, B., Green, B. L., Rowell, K., Watkins, D. C., Louis, R., et al. (2006, April). Equipping current and future health professionals through research, education, and training to address health disparities: The CSHD model. Presented at the American Academy of Health Education/American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Convention in Salt Lake City, UT. |
| 2006 | Watkins, D. C., Rivers, D., Rowell, K., Green, B. L., & Rivers, B. M. (2006, March). A closer look at effect sizes and their relevance to health education. Presented at the American Academy of Health Behavior, Carmel, CA. |
| 2005 | Watkins, D. C. (2005, October). What can be done about African American college men and depression? Visionary Scholars Presentation, Center for the Study of Health Disparites, College Station, TX. |
| 2005 | Watkins, D. C., & Rowell, K. (2005, May). Mental health and minority populations, "Brazos Valley Health" KEOS 89.1, College Station, TX. |
| 2005 | Watkins, D. C. (2005, March). Depression among black men in a rural community in southern Texas. Presented at the NIMH/UNM Mental Health Mentorship and Education Program Training Institute, Albuqueque, NM. |
| 2005 | Rivers, B. M., & Watkins, D. C. (2005, February). The center for the study of health disparities: Inequalites in health opportunities for change. "Brazos Valley Health" KEOS 89.1, College Station, TX, Radio Interview. |
| 2005 | Watkins, D. C. (2005, February). Keeping it real: The truth about graduate school (panelist). Presented at the Black Graduate Student Association, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. |
| 2005 | Buhi, L., Green, B. L., Rivers, B., McWhinney, S., Dorman, S., & Watkins, D. C. (2005, December). Collaboration between a research institution, federally qualified health center, and historically black university: A necessary, yet challenging endeavor. Presented at the American Public Health Association, Philadelphia, PA. |
| 2005 | Walker, A., & Watkins, D. C. (2005, October). The role of 'believability' in identifying health information sources on college campuses. Presented at the Southwest College Health Association (SWCHA) Annual Meeting-Regional Conference, Denton, TX. |
| 2005 | Watkins, D. C., Rowell, K., Rivers, D., Green, B. L., & Rivers, B. (2005, October). The limited research on African-American college men and depression: A path to solutions. Presented at the National Conference on Men's Health, Atlanta, GA. |
| 2005 | Watkins, D. C., Green, B. L., Rivers, B., Rivers, D., & Rowell, K. (2005, March). Depressive symptoms in black men: Using theory to plan a help seeking program for black, male university students. Presented at Student Research Week, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. |
| 2005 | Rivers, D., Rivers, B., Watkins, D. C., Green, B. L., Rowell, K., Louis, R., et al. (2005, December). Self-management education among African-Americans with type II diabetes: A literature review. Presented at the Society for Public Health Education's (SOPHE) 56th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. |
| 2005 | Rivers, D., Rivers, B., Green, B. L., Rowell, K., Watkins, D. C., & Arekere, D. (2005, December). Race-base research: Mayhem or miracle? Presented at the American Public Health Association, Philadelphia, PA. |
| 2005 | Green, B. L., Dorman, S., Rivers, B., Watkins, D. C., Rivers, D., & Rowell, K. (2005, December). Development of a research center within an academic setting to coordinate and build infrastructure to conduct health disparities research. Presented at the American Public Health Association Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA. |
| 2005 | Delissaint, D., Rivers, D., Green, B. L., Honore, H., Watkins, D. C., Rivers, B., et al. (2005, December). Global health disparities: HIV/AIDS & its impact on human rights. Presented at the American Public Health Association, Philadelphia, PA. |
| 2005 | Rivers, B., Green, B. L., Rowell, K., Watkins, D. C., Rivers, D., & Robledo, M. (2005, December). A transdisciplinary approach to career development and training of health disparities researchers. Presented at the American Public Health Association Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA. |
| 2005 | Watkins, D. C., Green, B. L., & Stanley, C. (2005, October). The health of African American male students at historically black colleges and universities: Is there limited research? Presented at the 4th International Conference on Urban Health, Toronto, Canada. |
| 2005 | Rowell, K., Rivers, D., Watkins, D. C., Rivers, B., & Green, B. L. (2005, August). Perceived racism as a stressor in suicide attempts among African Americans. Presented at the Association of Black Psychologists, Miami Beach, FL. |
| 2005 | Watkins, D. C., Rivers, D., Green, B. L., Rivers, B., & Rowell, K. (2005, April). Factors that lead to depression among black men: A systematic review of the literature from 1984 to 2004. Presented at the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Mid-year Scientific Conference, Boston, MA. |
| 2005 | Rivers, D., Rivers, B., Watkins, D. C., Rowell, K., & Green, B. L. (2005, March). Self-management education among African-American persons with Type 2 diabetes: A literature review, Student Research Week. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. |
| 2005 | Watkins, D. C., Green, B. L., & Rivers, B. (2005, March). Depressive symptoms in Black men: Using theory to plan a help seeking program for black, male university students. Presented at the 19th National Conference on Chronic Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), Atlanta, GA. |
| 2005 | Rivers, B., Green, B. L., Kohler, C., Watkins, D. C., Rivers, D., & Rowell, K. (2005, February). An Assessment of the relationship of socio-demographic factors, prostate cancer knowledge and perceived readiness to participate in the informed decision making process for prostate cancer. Presented at the American Academy of Health Behavior, Charleston, SC. |
| 2004 | Watkins, D. C. (2004, October). Exploring "Human genetic variation and health: New assessment approaches based on ethnogenetic layering" by Fatimah L. C. Jackson. Visionary Scholars Presentation, Center for the Study of Health Disparities, College Station, TX. |
| 2003 | Watkins, D. C., Green, B. L., & Rivers, B. (2003, November). Center for the Study of Health Disparities: Inequalities in health, opportunities for change. Presented at the Health Services & Outcomes Research Conference, Houston, TX. |