Senior Researcher at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
Plenary Presenter: Student Behavior in the Context of Emerging Research
Co-author: Responding to Students Affected by Trauma: Collaboration across Public Systems
Gretchen Cusick, Ph.D., is a Senior Researcher at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on the transition to adulthood among vulnerable populations, reentry of juvenile offenders, and juvenile justice system efforts to improve service provision and outcomes for youth. Dr. Cusick’s recent projects include an examination of the multiple systems involvement of youth reentering the community from correctional institutions and a study of the offending patterns among youth aging out of the child welfare system. She is currently leading an evaluation effort for Chicago Public Schools Safe Schools Healthy Students initiative, which is designed to reduce violence and substance use among students and create safer school and community environments. Dr. Cusick is also currently the Principal Investigator of a randomized control trial evaluation of an evidence-based program for incarcerated youth with substance abuse and mental health dual diagnoses and is leading an implementation evaluation of a pilot aftercare program for youth involved with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice in one county. Dr. Cusick earned her Ph.D. in Sociology with an emphasis in crime, law, and justice and a departmental certificate in quantitative methods from the Pennsylvania State University.