{"id":3,"date":"2011-09-12T19:38:19","date_gmt":"2011-09-12T19:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/my.dev.vanderbilt.edu\/perkins\/homepage\/"},"modified":"2024-01-02T13:33:55","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T18:33:55","slug":"homepage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/my.dev.vanderbilt.edu\/perkins\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"<\/a>Professor of\u00a0Human & Organizational Development<\/a>,\u00a0Peabody College<\/a>,\u00a0Vanderbilt University<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Founding Director & Core Faculty, PhD Program in Community Research & Action<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Core Faculty,\u00a0M.Ed. Program in Community Development & Action<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Core Faculty,\u00a0<\/strong>B.S. in\u00a0Human & Organizational Development<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

Director of HOD Undergraduate Honors Program<\/a><\/h3>\n

B.A.,\u00a0Swarthmore College<\/a><\/strong>, Psychology; M.A., Ph.D.,\u00a0New York\u00a0University, Community Psychology\u00a0(successor program)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Research Interests:<\/h2>\n

Dr. Perkins\u2019 research links community, environmental, and applied social psychology to other disciplines in focusing on participation and empowerment in grassroots organizations to improve communities and public policy making. Problems his research, teaching, and consultation have addressed include neighborhood revitalization, housing, youth violence, crime, fear and social capital (citizen participation, empowerment, sense of community, neighboring, networks) and disorder in urban community settings in the\u00a0U.S., China, Europe, Australia, and Africa. My latest research assesses and analyzes the current state, history, and global development of all applied community studies disciplines, including Community Psychology, Community Sociology, Community Development, Community Social Work, Applied\/Development Anthropology, Development Economics, Public Health, Urban\/Regional Planning\/Geography, Public Administration\/Policy Studies, Popular\/Community Education, Liberation Theology\/faith-based community development studies, and Interdisciplinary Community Research & Action.\u00a0\u00a0He studies and works with voluntary associations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies responding to such problems, at all levels but especially local government. His conceptual orientation stresses ecological systems frameworks and multiple levels of analysis (individuals, organizations, communities). His populations of interest include neighborhood residents and leaders, the disenfranchised, low-income, minorities, and at risk youths.<\/p>\n

Teaching Philosophy and Methods<\/h2>\n

Dr. Perkins’ teaching philosophy and methods (class size permitting) emphasize a participatory seminar format, collegial atmosphere, and relevant and experiential learning. He was awarded the\u00a0Borchard\u00a0Service-Learning Faculty Fellowship at the\u00a0University\u00a0of\u00a0Utah\u00a0and encourages students to go off campus and focus on the real world. His students look at the community settings they live and work in and identify real-life social or environmental issues affecting them and then study and try to solve them systematically.<\/p>\n

Past\/Current Professional Affiliations & Service:<\/h2>\n