PDN Advisors
Advisor
Dr. Eyitayo Onifade is a Full Professor and Director of the Whitney M. Young Ph.D. Program. With a B.S. in Psychology from Morehouse College, Dr. Onifade worked in various capacities as a probation officer, mental health clinician, and victim-witness advocate for the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. Utilizing funding from the National Science Foundation and an Emory Child Welfare Fellowship, he began his career studying victim willingness to report crime as a function of police response; in addition to identifying risk factors for child deprivation and delinquency. He completed his graduate studies in Social Work at the University of Georgia, focusing on non-profit management and program evaluation. There he worked with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government as a Fellow in their Child Welfare Policy Division, primarily serving as a reform-oriented policy analyst for legislation related to juvenile justice. His applied research and policy advocacy included an analysis of Georgia’s selection and retention policy for juvenile court judges, disparities in the application of mandatory sentencing laws for juveniles, and differences in sex offender treatment programs between Adult Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Dr. Onifade completed his Ph.D. in ecological-community psychology at Michigan State University. His primary research areas are restorative justice, pedagogy, and community development; publishing several peer-reviewed articles on disproportionate minority contact, dual-status offenders, and youth advocacy. To date, he has acquired several hundred thousand dollars in funding from various sources, including the National Science Foundation and AmeriCorps. Dr. Onifade is currently studying the efficacy of social work curriculum on increasing the financial literacy of social work students.
Co - Advisor
Dr. Shadonna Davis, LCSW, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at Clark Atlanta University's Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work. Dr. She primarily teaches Human Behavior, Advanced Practice, Research, and Psychopathology courses. She provides students with theories, concepts, and research-based practices for generalist social work practice. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years of experience in school social work, child welfare, and juvenile diversion. Her tenure at Atlanta Public Schools allowed her to manage the APS Truancy Center, including the district-wide truancy plan and multijurisdictional task forces. She was a Program Officer for Atlanta Housing and led research, evaluation, and program development projects for the human development services department, which serves over 1,500 residents annually. She currently provides research-based support to nonprofits and school districts that offer youth development and behavioral health services. Her commitment to university-community-engaged research is evidenced in her current MSW Student Mentors Initiatives, a research-driven partnership with a local high school.
Dr. Davis received a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies with a concentration in Social Foundations of Education at Georgia State University, an Advanced Qualitative Research Certificate, a Master of Social Work Degree, and a bachelor's in business administration from Georgia State University. Her research focuses on participatory action research projects and transformative psychoeducational interventions. She is a member of the NASW and CSWE, where she regularly presents research.