Dr. Deneca Winfrey Avant
Social Work Faculty, Professor
School of Social Work
Office
RC Rachel Cooper 201
Office Hours
By Appointment
Office Phone
Email
- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Research
Current Courses
337.001Generalist Practice III:Groups
337.002Generalist Practice III:Groups
Ph D Educational Organization and Leadership - Educational Administration
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL
Other Leadership and Administration
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL
MSW Social Work
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, IL
Other Bachelor of Social Work
Jackson State University
Jackson, MS
Years of Service and Leadership
National First Star, Inc.
2024
Distinguished Lecturer Award nominee
College of Arts and Sciences
2023
Million Dollar Club
Office of the President
2023
RISE to the COVID Challenge Recognition
Office of the Vice President and Provost
2021
Civic Engagement Ambassador
Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning
2019
First Star Academy Director
First Star Academy
2019
Associate Director of Equity and Inclusion
Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies
2019
Administrator-in-Residence
Office of the Vice President and Provost
2019
Design, Align, Refine, and Teach Online Program
Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology
2018
Faculty Fellow, Summer Institute
Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning
2016
Book Review
Stipp, K. & Avant, D. (2024) [Review of the book School Social Work: A Skills-Based Competency Approach, by JoDee Keller and Giesela Grumbach.] School Social Work Journal, 49, 1, pp. 68-70. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/iassw/sswj/2024/00000049/00000001/art00008
Stipp, K. & Avant, D. (2024) [Review of the book School Social Work: Engaging Social Justice and Racial Equity from Practitioners’ Perspectives, by Robert Ayasse et al.] School Social Work Journal, 48, 2, pp. 77-78. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/iassw/sswj/2024/00000048/00000002/art00009#
Book, Chapter
Avant, D., Houston, D., & Nesbitt, L. Educators as the Gatekeepers: Promoting a Race Informed, Culturally Competent Pedagogy for Human Service Professionals. T. Puckett and N. Lind (EDs), Cultural Competence in Higher Education. Emerald (2020)
Avant, D. W. (2011). Unwrapping Tradition: Shifting from traditional leadership to transformative action. In C. M. Shields (Ed.), Transformative Leadership: A Reader (pp. 114-130). New York, NY: Peter Lang.
Avant, D., Houston, D., & Nesbitt, L. Educators as the Gatekeepers: Promoting a Race Informed, Culturally Competent Pedagogy for Human Service Professionals. Cultural Competence in Higher Education. Emerald
Conference Proceeding
https://f2e2ac9d-26a5-4f19-81ec-a2e6a0fcadf4.filesusr.com/ugd/6a041f_97f437b0f9d640c6a1262c0824be6023.pdf
Journal Article
Avant, D. When privilege and oppression becomes “real” in the life of emerging social workers.. Journal of Teaching in Social Work 42.1 (2022): 1-14.
Avant, D., Miller-Ott, A., & Houston, D. “I Needed to Aim Higher:” Former Foster Youths’ Pathways to College Success. Journal of Child and Family Studies 30.4 (2021): 1043-1058.
Avant, D., Miller-Ott, A. E. & Houston, D. (2021). “I needed to aim higher:” Former foster youths’ pathways to college success. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30(4), 1043-1058.
doi:10.1007/s10826-020-01892-1
doi:10.1007/s10826-020-01892-1
Avant, D. W. & Swerdlik, M. (2016). A collaborative endeavor: The roles and functions of school social workers and school psychologists implementing multi-tiered system of supports/response to intervention. School Social Work Journal. 41(1), 56-72.
Avant, D. W. (2016). Using Response to intervention/ multi-tiered systems of supports to promote social justice in schools. Journal for Multicultural Education. 10(4), 507-520.
DOI: 10.1108/JME-06-2015-0019
Technical Report
Avant, D., & Wiggins, S. First Star Academy FY24 Annual Report Q1-Q4. Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies (2024)
Avant, D., & Wiggins, S. First Star Academy FY23 Annual Report Q1-Q4. Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies (2023)
Avant, D., & Wiggins, S. First Star Academy FY22 Annual Report Q1-Q4. Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies (2022)
Avant, D. First Star Academy FY21 Annual Report Q1-Q4. Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies (2021)
Stipp, K.F., Bell, C. & Avant, D.W. (2021). Listening to Middle School and High School Youth: Executive Summary.
Presentations
Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Communication Planning. Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Strategy. Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE). (2022)
Faculty Appointment, Salary, Promotion, and Tenure (ASPT) Anti-Bias Training. College Deans and Academic Chairs and Directors. Office of the Vice President and Provost. (2022)
Anti-Racism and Student Success. Chairs/Directors Retreat. College of Arts and Sciences. (2021)
Postsecondary Pathways for Former Foster Care Youth. Postsecondary Pathways for Former Foster Care Youth. Office of Community College Research and Leadership. (2021)
Beating the Odds: African American Foster Youth Pathways to College. American Association of Blacks in Higher Education Conference. American Association of Blacks in Higher Education. (2019)
It Takes a Village: Why Community Engagement Matters. National First Star Academy Directors Conference. National First Star Academy. (2019)
White Like Me. Student Counseling Services Multicultural Outreach Initiative. First Star Academy. (2019)
A collaborative endeavor: The roles and functions of school social workers and school psychologists implementing multi-tiered system of supports/response to intervention. Illinois Association of School Social Workers Conference. (2017)
Culturally Responsive Teaching. New Faculty Orientation. Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology. (2017)
Former Foster Youth in College: A Needs and Assets Assessment and First Star ISU Academy. Student Affairs Council Meeting. Illinois State University. (2017)
Grants & Contracts
First Star Academy. DCFS. State. (2024)
Administrator-in-Resident. Office of the Vice President and Provost. Illinois State University. (2019)
First Star Academy. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Private donor. Other. (2019)
Community Empowerment Health and Wellness Grant. Delta Research and Educational Foundation. Private. (2018)
First Star Academy. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Private donor. Other. (2018)