Dr. Deneca Winfrey Avant

Associate Professor

School of Social Work

Office

Rachel Cooper - RC 201

Office Hours

By Appointment

Office Phone

(309) 438-4498office
phone

Department Phone

(309) 438-3631dept
phone

Fax

(309) 438-5880fax

dwinfre@ilstu.eduemail

About
Education
Awards & Honors
Research

Current Courses

337.001Generalist Practice III:Groups

400.004Independent Study

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

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

Pre-Tenure Faculty Initiative Grant

College of Arts and Sciences

2016

Research Mini Award

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

2016

Leadership Initiative Participant

Illinois State University Office of the Provost

2015

Outstanding Faculty Member of the Month

College Pan-hellenic Council

2015

Book, Chapter in Scholarly Book-New

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, Academic Journal

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

Avant, D. & Bracy, W. (in press). Using Problem-based Learning To Illustrate the Concepts of Privilege and Oppression, Journal of Social Work Education.

Avant, D. & Lindsey, B. (2015). School social workers as response to intervention change champions, Advances in Social Work Journal. 16(2), 276-291. DOI: 10.18060/16428

Winfrey-Avant, D. (2014). The Roles of School Social Workers in Implementation of Response to Intervention. School Social Work Journal, 38(2), 11-31.

Zosky, D., Avant,D., & Thompson, J. (2014). Social work and special education students’ attributions of poverty: A leadership opportunity for school social workers. School Social Work Journal,38(2), 77-97.

Journal Article, Professional Journal

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.

Research Report

Houston, D., Gjesfjeld, C., Avant, D., Miller-Ott, A., & Gholson, T. (2017). Final Report-Higher Education as the Lifeline to Social Mobility for Former Foster Youth: A Comprehensive Needs and Assets Assessment. Chicago, IL: The Spencer Foundation.

Avant, D. W. (2016, December, 19th). Diversity and Oppression: Cultural Competence Among Social Work Students. [Blog post] Retrieved from https://illinoisstateuniversitysotl.wordpress.com/tag/deneca-avant/

Technical Report

Avant, D., & Houston, D. First Star Academy FY19 Annual Report Q1-Q4. Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies (2019)

Avant, D., & Houston, D. First Star Academy FY18 Annual Report Q1-Q4. Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies (2018)

Avant, D., & Houston, D. First Star Academy FY17 Annual Report Q1-Q4. Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies

Avant, D., & Houston, D. First Star Academy FY17 Quarter 3 Report. Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies

Avant, D., & Houston, D. First Star Academy FY18 Quarter 1 Report. Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies

Presentations

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)

Overcoming Stress. Faculty Development. Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning. (2017)

Start Where You Are…But Don’t Stay There: The Journey Towards Understanding White Privilege and Dismantling Oppression. White Privilege Conference. (2017)

Stress In Academia. Summer Faculty Institute. Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning. (2017)

Culturally Responsive Teaching. New Faculty Orientation. Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology. (2016)

Grants & Contracts

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)

First Star Academy. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Private donor. Other. (2017)