Shelby E McDonald
Shelby E. McDonald is an assistant professor in the VCU School of Social Work and a research affiliate with the VCU School of Medicine Center for Human-Animal Interaction. Her research interests include ethnocultural variations in women and children’s exposure and response to intimate partner violence and human-animal interactions in the context of welfare, health and socio-ecological justice.
For the past 6 years, she has been co-investigator of a longitudinal, mixed methods study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development that examines the impact of exposure to intimate partner violence and concomitant animal maltreatment on women and children’s health and wellbeing. This community-engaged research study involved statewide collaboration between the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work and the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence; findings from this project have been translated into recommendations for domestic violence shelter and community services, mental health professionals who work with survivors of family violence and animal rescue organizations.
Another aspect of McDonald’s research focuses on developmental trajectories of academic and psychosocial competencies in racial and ethnic minority youth, particularly Latinxs. Currently, McDonald is collaborating Rosalie Corona, Ph.D. in the VCU Department of Psychology on a community-engaged research project to promote mental health in the growing Latinx community in the greater Richmond area. McDonald is passionate about mentoring students in research and welcomes undergraduate and graduate student participation in her projects.
Abstracts this author is presenting: