Dr. Ellen Devoe

Biography

Ellen DeVoe is a nationally recognized expert in trauma and its impact on families. Her work focuses on developing and disseminating community-driven, culturally responsive prevention and intervention programs aimed at mitigating the effects of violence exposure on families and children. Over more than a decade, she directed the Strong Families Strong Forces program, an intervention research project funded by the Department of Defense, which aimed to support military parents with very young children throughout the cycles of deployment and reintegration. At Boston University School of Social Work, she serves as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and has held various roles including Associate Dean for Research and Director of the Trauma and Violence specialization, as well as being the inaugural Director of the PhD Program in Social Work. DeVoe has contributed to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine as a member of a consensus study team focusing on strengthening the military family readiness system. In 2019, she contributed policy briefs for the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children and the Center for Child Policy. Additionally, she is an invited member of the Council on Social Work Education’s Curriculum Task Forces for Military Social Work and Trauma-Informed Care.

Research Interests