Policy Research is pleased to announce that Elan C. Hope, PhD, has joined Policy Research as the Program Area Director for Research and Evaluation. As Program Area Director, Dr. Hope will develop and provide oversight on research projects and use her area’s research findings to inform and strengthen Policy Research’s technical assistance efforts. Dr. Hope brings a strong background in research focused on academic, civic, and psychological well-being for racially marginalized groups, youth, and emerging adults. She is excited to apply her research skills to bolster and enhance Policy Research’s full behavioral health portfolio.
Dr. Hope takes an assets-based approach to understanding individual and community factors that promote well-being for adolescents and young adults, particularly structural barriers to wellness. Dr. Hope uses qualitative and quantitative methods to examine factors related to behavioral health and well-being, including racial identity, critical consciousness, socialization, and activism. Dr. Hope is also an Associate Editor at the Journal of Adolescent Research. Prior to joining Policy Research, Dr. Hope was an associate professor of psychology and a university scholar at NC State University.
Dr. Hope is from Prince George’s County, Maryland. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Smith College and her PhD in Education and Psychology from the University of Michigan. Following graduate school, Dr. Hope completed a post-doctoral fellowship (sponsored by the William T. Grant Foundation) in Comparative Human Development at the University of Chicago.