Professor Dr. Jodi Petersen

Biography

Jodi Petersen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University. She holds a doctorate in Ecological-Community Psychology and has received certification in college teaching. Jodi’s research primarily focuses on helping nonprofit and public organizations define, gather, and utilize data to enhance their impact. She is passionate about social justice and equity, with expertise in systems change, facilitation, qualitative and quantitative data, and participatory research evaluation methods. As an applied community psychologist, Jodi operates her own research evaluation consulting business based in West Michigan. She specializes in creating low-barrier ways to assist nonprofits in making informed decisions to increase their impact, adopting a deliberately participatory and utilization-focused approach to her work. Her research and evaluation topics include youth development, child welfare, juvenile justice, poverty and basic needs access, and workforce development. Additionally, Jodi serves on local and state nonprofit boards, along with a local public school board for education.

Research Interests