Dr. Doris Houston
- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Research
Biography
Dr. Doris Houston is an Associate Professor of Social Work at ISU where she serves concurrently as PI and Co-Director of the DCFS Child Protection Training Academy (CPTA), PI of the Illinois Permanency Enhancement Project (PEP), and Director of the Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies. Houston served as ISU’s first Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer and presidential cabinet member from 2020-2023, and Interim Director of the School of Social Work from 2018-2020. In 2021, Houston founded the “EDI Leaders Circle” at Illinois State—A consortium of 40+ departmental-level workgroups across campus. These groups are devoted to examining and eliminating systemic barriers to equitable student admission, faculty/staff hiring, curriculum development, and college completion. As a result of campus-wide efforts to advance equity and access at ISU, traditionally underrepresented students now comprise 30% of ISU’s student body.
Teaching Interests & Areas
Child and Family Policy and Practice; Equity and Social Justice; Organizational Systems Change; Evaluation.
Research Interests & Areas
Higher education access and outcomes for underserved populations; foster and adopted youth; diversity and social justice.
Ph D Human Development and Family Studies
MS Human Development and Family Studies
BS Social Work
Merlin Kennedy Community Service Award
Black Administrators in Child Welfare Visionary Leader
Spring 2023 Convocation Keynote Speaker
The Campbell/Houston/Howard/Zosky Scholarship in Social Work
Illinois State University Team Excellence Award
Outstanding College Service Award
Summer Faculty Fellows Award
ISU Faulty Impact Award Recipient: Illinois State University (April, 2014).
ISU Provost Leadership Initiative Appointee
Chairman’s Award: Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
Book, Authored
Book, Chapter
Journal Article
doi:10.1007/s10826-020-01892-1
Magazine/Trade Publication
Technical Report
Presentations
Gjesfjeld, C.D., Houston, D., Miller-Ott, A., & Gholson, T. (April 2017). Former foster youth in college: A needs and assets assessment. Roundtable session at American Educational Research Association – San Antonio, TX