Education
PhD (expected 2023)
University of California, Berkeley, School of Social Welfare
Designated Emphasis in Critical Theory
A.M. (2018)
University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration
Social Administration Concentration
BA (2012)
Northwestern University
Psychology Major, Religious Studies Minor, Gender Studies Concentration
Honors Thesis: Effects of Anxiety and Threat on Retrieval-Induced Forgetting
Research Interests
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Whiteness, abolition, critical theory, social welfare history, and the integration of critical
theory with social work praxis.
Email: jrgregory@berkeley.edu
Publications
Gregory, J. R. (in press). Reconsidering intersectionality: Falsity, negativity, and radical
racial pragmatism in social work praxis. Critical Social Work.
Gregory, J. R. (2022). Foregrounding the Freedmen’s Bureau: A heterodox welfare state
history. Journal of Progressive Human Services. Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10428232.2022.2115277
Gregory, J. R. (2022). Whiteness and/as war. Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society.
Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41282-022-00305-0
Gregory, J. R. (2021). Toward a historically accountable critical whiteness curriculum
for social work. Advances in Social Work, 21(2/3), 616–634.
https://doi.org/10.18060/24094
Gregory, J. R. (2021). The imperative and promise of neo-abolitionism in social work.
Journal of Social Work. 21(5), 1203–1224.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017320952049
Gregory, J. R. (2020) Porcelain ethics: A critical linguistic analysis of the treatment of
race in the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. Critical and
Radical Social Work. Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1332/204986020X16031175122442
Gregory, J. R. (2020). Whiteness and school shootings: Theorization toward a more
critical school social work. Children & Schools, 42(3), 153–60.
https://doi.org/10.1093/cs/cdaa017
Gregory, J. R. (2020). Social work as a product and project of whiteness, 1607–1900.
Journal of Progressive Human Services, 32(1), 17–36.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10428232.2020.1730143
Garthe, R. C., Gorman-Smith, D., Gregory, J., & Schoeny, M. (2018). Neighborhood
concentrated disadvantage and dating violence among urban adolescents: The
mediating role of neighborhood social processes. American Journal of
Community Psychology, 61(3-4), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12239
Nuñez, M., Gregory, J., & Zinbarg, R. E. (2015). Anxiety and retrieval inhibition:
Support for an enhanced inhibition account. Cognition And Emotion, 31(2), 349–
Peer-Reviewed Presentations
Gregory, J. R. (2021). Neo-abolitionism and reparations: Symbiotic social movements
for anti-racist social work. Presentation delivered virtually for the Social Work,
White Supremacy, and Racial Justice Symposium.
Gregory, J. R. (2021). Foregrounding the Freedmen’s Bureau: A heterodox welfare
state history. Presentation delivered virtually for the meeting of the Society for
Social Work and Research Annual Conference: Social Work Science for Social
Change.
Gregory, J. R. (2020). Theorization of whiteness in social work. Poster presented at the
meeting of the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference:
Reducing Racial and Economic Inequality, Washington, DC.
Academic and Professional Presentations
Applications of Research and Evaluation – 2017
Guest presentation and lecture delivered at the University of Chicago School of Social
Service Administration to social work graduate students enrolled in course SSAD 30200:
Social Intervention—Research and Evaluation with Dr. Rachel Garthe.
Action Plan: Bronzeville Community Action Council – 2017
Development and presentation of an action plan designed for the Community Action
Council in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, which delineated strategies
for organizing council members and coordinating action to engage local schools,
businesses, and stakeholders with the goal of improving local youth education.
Honors and Awards
Berkeley Social Welfare Summer Departmental Fellowship – 2019–2022
University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare
Annual summer fellowship of $3,000–$5,000 to support ongoing scholarship and
research projects.
Anna R. and Mitchell A. Spellberg Scholarship – 2015–2018
University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration
Merit-based scholarship providing $6,000 per year for graduate study. Awarded in 2015
and renewed for two additional, consecutive years based upon academic performance at
the graduate level.
Honors Program in Psychology – 2011–2012
Northwestern University
Selection to receive supervisory and financial support to conduct a yearlong independent
research project, from proposal through publication.
Research Experience
Present Lead Investigator – 2022
The Whiteness in Social Work Project
University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare
Designed and implemented interview-based study of experiences of whiteness among social work students and faculty of color.
Lead Investigator – 2018–2019
Youth Experiences and Race in Schools (YEARS)
University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration
Designed and implemented ethnographic pilot study of youth experiences of race, particularly whiteness, in schools with majority black students and largely white teacher workforces.
Graduate Research Assistant – 2016–2018
Chicago Center for Youth Violence Prevention
University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration
Principal Investigator: Dr. Deborah Gorman-Smith
Assistance through active involvement across stages of funding procurement, data collection, analysis, reporting, and publication. Study funded by the CDC for community level needs assessment, intervention development, and service delivery intended to prevent youth violence within the Bronzeville neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. Research assessing community social processes and identifying community and individual risk and protective factors that both predict and protect against aggressive and violent behavior in youth. Regular participation in and support of community programs and initiatives such as Bright Star Community Outreach, the Bronzeville Community Action Council, and the YMCA of Metro Chicago.
Post-Undergraduate Research Assistant – 2012
Yale Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic
Yale University
Principal Investigator: Dr. Alan E. Kazdin
Assistance through active involvement across stages of data collection, analysis, and reporting. Study focusing upon increasing service accessibility by modifying Parent Management Training sessions for effective delivery via webcam, internet, and phone. Research intended to improve treatment outcomes for demographics typically facing numerous and significant barriers to treatment (e.g., single-parent families, families of low socio-economic status, geographically isolated families, etc.).
Undergraduate Independent Honors Research – 2011-2011
The Family Institute at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Independent research in collaboration with doctoral student, Mia Nuñez, supervised by Dr. Richard Zinbarg. Research investigating deficits in cognitive inhibition among anxious individuals, as detected by task completion using a retrieval-induced forgetting paradigm. Analyses investigating differences across categories of individual state and trait anxiety levels, as well as task exemplar threat valence.
Teaching Experience
Lead Instructor – 2022
Seminar in Social Welfare Research
University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare
Sole responsibility for all course content development and delivery. Course content provided students with general skills in formulating research questions, collecting data, and executing data analysis, as well as program evaluation skills from design to implementation. This coursework comprised the core research curriculum for the School of Social Welfare master’s program, culminating in students developing program evaluation plans in fulfillment of the Berkeley Graduate Division capstone project requirement.
Graduate Student Instructor – 2021
Theories for Multi-Level Practice
University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare
Graduate student instructor to Dr. Paul Sterzing. Responsible for providing in- and out of-class supplementary student instruction, supervision, and support; co-constructing learning materials; and grading assignments. Course content provided students with introductions to the historical foundations of social work and interdisciplinary theories and enabled students to critique, develop, and apply theoretical interventions in their own social work practice.
Graduate Student Instructor – 2019–2021
Seminar in Social Welfare Research
University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare
Graduate student instructor (lead instructors by semester: Dr. Erin Kerrison, fall 2019; Dr. Anu Manchikanti Gómez, spring 2020; Dr. Linda Burton and Dr. Susan Stone, fall 2020; Dr. Anu Manchikanti Gómez, spring 2021). Responsible for providing in- and out of-class supplementary student instruction, supervision, and support; co-constructing curriculum and learning materials; grading assignments; and delivering guest lectures. Course content provided students with general skills in formulating research questions, collecting data, and executing data analysis, as well as program evaluation skills from design to implementation. This coursework comprised the core research curriculum for the School of Social Welfare master’s program, culminating in students developing program evaluation plans in fulfillment of the Berkeley Graduate Division capstone project requirement.
Teaching Assistant – 2018–2019
(Summer) San Francisco Field Study Practicum Analysis Seminar
Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy
Undergraduate practicum teaching assistant to Dr. Dan A. Lewis. Field study practicum designed to help undergraduate students to develop capacity for critical analysis of policy environments and how they operate; learn ethnographic methods and apply them to understanding policy environments; and improve general research and writing skills. Responsible for co-facilitating practicum seminars, overseeing student field placements and acting as a student support and liaison to San Francisco social service organizations, and grading assignments.
Teaching Assistant – 2018
Participatory Research—Exploration and Application of Action Research Models
for Social Work Practice
University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration
Graduate course teaching assistant to Dr. Shipra Parikh and Dr. Beth-Anne Jacob. Coconstructed graduate course intended to introduce students to social work action research models and techniques, and to facilitate students’ engagement with these research approaches by supporting the class in designing and implementing a collective final project.
Teaching Assistant – 2018
Social Intervention—Research and Evaluation
University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration
Graduate course teaching assistant to Dr. Shipra Parikh. Responsible for providing inclass teaching assistance, leading student discussion sections, answering student questions outside of class, and developing student assignments.
Practice Experience
Graduate Intern – 2017–2018
YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago
Learning and Evaluation Program
Chicago, Illinois
Involvement in program design, curriculum development, and evaluation of outcomes, process, and fidelity for Youth Safety and Violence Prevention programming. Particular focus of these means of involvement upon Urban Warriors, a program that connects youth, either gang-involved or affected by violence, with veterans who provide individual mentorship and deliver group services related to trauma recovery, empowerment, relationship development, and prosocial engagement.
Graduate Intern – 2016-2017
Metropolitan Family Services
Adult Mental Health Program
Chicago, Illinois
Provided comprehensive individual therapy and case management services to adults diagnosed with severe, persistent mental health disorders, with a majority also bearing histories of trauma and experiencing concurrent, significant, pervasive environmental stressors. Conducted client intake interviews, performed mental health assessments, developed individual treatment plans, and maintained all client documentation. Additionally, developed and implemented employee training on the topic of traumainformed practice, delivered agency-wide to mental health personnel. Assessed organizational pre- and post-training needs and attitudes related to trauma-informed practice through quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, and provided evaluative summary of potential areas for workforce development.
Counselor and Crisis Intervention Leader – 2014–2016
The Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School
Chicago, Illinois
Provided direct care and support in a residential treatment setting to child and adolescent students diagnosed with severe psychological, emotional, and behavioral disorders and histories of trauma. Managed shift staffing and led prevention and intervention in response to student needs and emergent crisis situations. Maintained clinical documentation on students, contributed to treatment plans, and composed quarterly and IEP reports. Designed, implemented, and led regular group therapy sessions and activities for students.
Community Health Worker – 2014
Together4Health
Chicago, Illinois
Provided community- and home-based comprehensive case management to Chicago Medicaid recipients with severe mental illnesses and physical disabilities. Organized and carried out community outreach events and activities, conducted needs assessments, developed plans of care, coordinated referrals, and provided in-person support to program participants. Maintained clinical documentation tracking participant progress toward mental and physical health goals and service utilization and treatment outcomes.
Service Coordinator – 2012–2013
Reliance House, Inc.
Supported Living Program II
Norwich, Connecticut
Provided home-based support and crisis prevention/intervention services to developmentally disabled adult males with co-occurring psychiatric disorders and criminal histories. Provided full case management, including, but not limited to, development, implementation, and maintenance of individual plans of care and crisis prevention/intervention plans. Coordinated regular assessments of mental and physical health, as well as necessary treatment, with care providers.
Undergraduate Intern – 2011
Yale Child Study Center
Children’s Psychiatric Inpatient Services
Yale University
Assisted and supported children in acute psychiatric crisis with learning life and social skills, carrying out daily living activities, and identifying individual goals. Helped to develop and implement care plans. Co-facilitated cognitive-behavioral therapy groups.
Grant Experience
Graduate Research Assistant – 2017
Allstate Grant
Implementation and evaluation of Youth Empowerment Solutions with Bright Star Community Outreach in Chicago, Illinois.
Graduate Research Assistant – 2017
Allstate Grant
Evaluation of Urban Warriors at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.
Graduate Research Assistant and Field Interviewer – 2016–2017
Grant 1U01CE002712-01 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
University of Chicago CDC National Center of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention Implementation and evaluation of Communities That Care with principal investigator, Dr. Deborah Gorman-Smith.
Skills
Proficient in: Data collection, formatting, and descriptive and inferential analysis using R, Stata, and SPSS; questionnaire and interview construction, data collection, coding, and analysis using NVivo; using Prezi presentation software and PhotoVoice; using Qualtrics to design and administer data collection instruments.