Dr. Doris Houston
Director, Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies
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- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Selected 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.
Current Courses
SWK 323.001 Child Welfare Services
SWK 423.001 Child Welfare Services
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
University of Illinois
Urbana- Champaign
MS Human Development and Family Studies
University of Illinois
Urbana- Champaign
BS Social Work
University of Illinois
Urbana- Champaign
Merlin Kennedy Community Service Award
NAACP of Bloomington-Normal
2024
Black Administrators in Child Welfare Visionary Leader
Black Administrators in Child Welfare
2024
Spring 2023 Convocation Keynote Speaker
University of Illinois College of ACES
2023
The Campbell/Houston/Howard/Zosky Scholarship in Social Work
ISU University Advancement
2023
Illinois State University Team Excellence Award
Illinois State University Office of the President
2017
Outstanding College Service Award
ISU College of Arts and Science
2016
Summer Faculty Fellows Award
Illinois State University College of Arts and Sciences
2015
ISU Faulty Impact Award Recipient: Illinois State University (April, 2014).
Office of the Provost
2014
ISU Provost Leadership Initiative Appointee
Illinois State University Office of the Provost
2013
Chairman’s Award: Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
African American Advisory Council
2011
Grants and Contracts
Child Protection Training Academy at Illinois State University
Doris Houston
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. July 2023 - June 2026
Illinois Permanency Enhancement Project (PEP)
Doris Houston
Illinois Department of Children and Family Service. July 1 2023 - June 20 2026
Methamphetamine, Opioids & Fentanyl in rural Illinois: An ethnographic exploration of current and emerging issues.
Theresa Adelman- Mullally, Kate Sheridan, Ralph Weisheit, Christopher Brewer, Cherrill Stockmann, Frank Dwight Beck, Doris Houston, Joshua Stout
Advancing Research and Creative Scholarship. August 2023
First Star Academy
Deneca Winfrey Avant, Doris Houston
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Private donor. July 2019 - June 2020
First Star Academy
Deneca Winfrey Avant, Doris Houston
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Private donor. July 2018 - June 2019
First Star Academy
Deneca Winfrey Avant, Doris Houston
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Private donor. July 2017 - June 2018
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services: Permanency Enhancement Project
Doris M. Houston
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. July 1 2017 - June 30 2018
First Star Academy
Deneca Winfrey Avant, Doris Houston
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Private donor. July 2016 - June 2017
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services: Permanency Enhancement
Doris Houston
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. July 1 2016 - June 30 2017
Assessing the needs and assets of foster youth in college
Doris M. Houston
ISU College of Arts and Science (Summer Faculty Fellowship). June 2015 - August 2015
CAS Summer Faculty Fellowship
Doris Houston
College of Arts and Sciences. June 2015 - August 2015
Higher Education as the Lifeline to Social Mobility for Former Foster Youth: A Comprehensive Needs and Assets Assessment.
Christopher Gjesfjeld, Doris Houston
Spencer Foundation. May 15 2015 - May 15 2017
Spencer Foundation Small Grant Proposal
Doris M Houston, Chris Gjesfjeld
Spencer Foundation. June 1 2015 - May 31 2017
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services: Permanency Enhancement Project
Doris Houston
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. July 1 2013 - June 30 2014
Book, Authored
Foster Care Alumni and Higher Education:Recommendations to Improve Higher Education Access, Enrollment, and Success in Illinois.
Jennifer Geiger, Tiffany Gholson, & Doris Houston
Jane Adams School of Social Work
Higher Education as the Lifeline to Social Mobility for Former Foster Youth: A Comprehensive Needs and Assets Assessment
Doris Houston, Christopher Gjesfjeld, Aimee Miller-Ott, Tiffany Gholson, Lauretta Schaefer, & Marquise Brown
Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies
Book, Chapter
Educators as the Gatekeepers: Promoting a Race Informed, Culturally Competent Pedagogy for Human Service Professionals
Deneca Winfrey Avant, Doris Houston, & LaTasha L. Nesbitt
(2020), Cultural Competence in Higher Education, Emerald
Educators as the Gatekeepers: Promoting a Race Informed, Culturally Competent Pedagogy for Human Service Professionals
Deneca Winfrey Avant, Doris Houston, & LaTasha L. Nesbitt
Cultural Competence in Higher Education, Emerald
Journal Article
“I Needed to Aim Higher:” Former Foster Youths’ Pathways to College Success
Deneca Winfrey Avant, Aimee Miller-Ott, & Doris Houston
Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30 (4), 1043-1058, (2021), 10.1007/s10826-020-01892-1
“I needed to aim higher:” Former foster youths’ pathways to college success.
Deneca Winfrey Avant, Aimee Miller-Ott, & Doris Houston
Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30 (4), 1043-1058, (2021)
Magazine/Trade Publication
Houston, D. (2023). Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: 2022-2023 Annual Report for Illinois State University. Normal, IL: Office of the President.
Doris Houston
(2023)
Houston, D., & Hatch, R. (2022). Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: 2021-2022 Annual Report for Illinois State University. Normal, IL: Office of the President.
Doris Houston
(2022)
Technical Report
Houston, D. (2021). Pillars of Progress: Tools to Assess EDI-A Readiness and Change. Illinois State University. Normal, IL: Office of the President.
Doris Houston
(2021)
First Star Academy FY19 Annual Report Q1-Q4
Deneca Winfrey Avant & Doris Houston
(2019)
First Star Academy FY18 Annual Report Q1-Q4
Deneca Winfrey Avant & Doris Houston
(2018)
Center for Adoption Studies Program Review
Doris M Houston & Jeanne M Howard
Illinois State University Office of the Provost
First Star Academy FY17 Annual Report Q1-Q4
Deneca Winfrey Avant & Doris Houston
First Star Academy FY17 Quarter 3 Report
Deneca Winfrey Avant & Doris Houston
First Star Academy FY18 Quarter 1 Report
Deneca Winfrey Avant & Doris Houston
Houston, D. (2024). Annual Report: Central Region Permanency Enhancement Project Local Action Team Initiative
Doris Houston
Houston, D. (2024). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Central Region Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Doris Houston
Houston, D. (2024). Program Plan FY 2025: Central Region Permanency Enhancement Project Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies at Illinois State University
Doris Houston
Houston, D., (2024). Program Review Self Study and Outcome Assessment. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies at Illinois State University.
Doris Houston
Illinois State University, Office of the Provost
Illinois State University Climate Assessment Task Force Status Report and Recommended Action Items (2016-2017)
Doris Houston, Guadalupe Montalvo, Dave Bentlin, Rick Lewis, Ryan Powers, , &
http://illinoisstate.edu/president/campus-climate-taskforce/
Presentations
Beating the Odds: African American Foster Youth Pathways to College
Deneca Winfrey Avant, Doris Houston,
American Association of Blacks in Higher Education Conference, Indianapolis, March, 2019
Former Foster Youth in College: A Needs and Assets Assessment and First Star ISU Academy
Deneca Winfrey Avant, Doris Houston, Jamillah Gilbert
Student Affairs Council Meeting, Normal, IL, December, 2017
2016-2017 Climate Assessment Task Force: Pre-Meeting Report to the Board of Trustees.
Doris Houston
Pre-Meeting Report to the Board of Trustees., Normal, Il, October 20, 2017
Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community.
Doris Houston
Saving Our Families Together Today (SOFTT), Champaign, Champaign, Il, October 10, 2017
Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Rock Island Immersion Site.
Doris Houston
DCFS Central Region CQI Collaborative Meeting, Springfield, Il, September, 2017
Former Foster Youth in College: A Needs and Assets Assessment
Christopher Gjesfjeld, Doris Houston, Aimee Miller-Ott, Tiffany Gholson
2017 Annual AERA Conference, San Antonio, Texas, April, 2017
Former Foster Youth in College: A Needs and Assets Assessment.
Doris Houston, Christopher Gjesfjeld, Aimee Miller-Ott, Tiffany Gholson,
AERA 2017 Annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, April 27, 2017
Data Informed Decision Making: EAF 463 guest lecture.
Doris Houston
EAF 463, Normal, Il, March 28, 2017
Illinois Permanency Enhancement Project (PEP): A Cross Systems Framework for Data Informed Practice
Doris Houston, abby Shaw
IDCFS Supervisor's Retreat, Springfield, Illinois, November 2, 2016
OUT OF THE SHADOWS: Promoting Critical Thought And Inclusive Perspectives In The Classroom
Doris Houston, Karen Sue Stipp, Daniel Liechty, Diane L Zosky, Kathryn Wehrmann
Culturally Responsive Campus Community 2016 Conference, Normal, Illinois, October 25, 2016
Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusive Excellence at Illinois State University- Part II.
Doris Houston, Mayuko Nakamura
Provost's Leadership Initiative, Normal, Illinois, October 21, 2016
Improving Educational and Employment Outcomes for Youth in Care.
Doris Houston
IDCFS 2016 Inaugural Transformation Summit., Itasca, Il, October 17, 2016
College Success Among Former Foster Youth: Implications for Campus Support Programs
Doris Houston, LaShawnda Kilgore
Brown Bag Series, Normal, Illinois, October 14, 2016
Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusive Excellence at Illinois State University- Part I.
Doris Houston, Angell Davis
ISU Provost's Leadership Initiative, Normal, Illinois, September 23, 2016
New Faculty Orientation- Diversity Workshop
Doris Houston
ISU New Faculty Orientation, Normal, Illinois, August 15, 2016
On the Pathway to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence at Illinois State University
Doris Houston
ISU Administrator's Retreat, Fall 2016, Normal, Illinois, August 10, 2016
Year 1 Executive Summary: Higher Education as the Lifeline
Doris Houston
IDCFS Research Presentation, Chicago, Illinois, July 11, 2016
“Against All Odds: College Success among Former Foster Youth.”
Doris M Houston, Lauretta Schaefer, Verneice Prince, LaShawnda Kilgore
Main Street College, Normal, Illinois, March 21, 2016
“Youth in Care Scholars at Illinois State University.”
Doris Houston, Chris Gjesfjeld, Lauretta Schaeffer, Marquise Brown
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Director's Presentation, Chicago, Illinois, September 29, 2015
Higher Education: A Lifeline to Social Mobility for Former Foster Youth
Doris Houston
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Chicago, Illinois, June 15, 2015
Overview of 2013 Child Welfare Permanency Data”. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Quarterly Supervisor’s professional development meeting (December 10, 2013).
Doris Houston
IDCFS Supervisor's Professional Development Meeting, Online, , 2013
Utilizing Permanency Data to Influence Change”. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Racial Equity Transformation Team. (October 29, 2013).
Doris Houston
Illinois Transformation Team Symposia, Online, , 2013
Whitney Young as a Social Work Change Agent
Doris Houston
Online, 2013
“Overview of 2012 Child Welfare Permanency Data”. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services PEP action team professional development meeting (October 25, 2013).
Doris Houston
Online, 2013
Permanency, Disproportionality, and Disparities: Assessing Progress and Outcomes.
Doris Houston
IDCFS African American Advisory Council- Annual Leadership Summit, Normal, Il, June 7, 2013