Dr. Shawna J. Lee is professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, where she also directs the Parenting in Context Research Lab and the Program Evaluation Group (PEG). Her research focuses on child maltreatment prevention, father involvement, parenting stress and family well-being.

An internationally recognized scholar, Lee serves as co-editor-in-chief of Children and Youth Services Review, a leading international journal in child and family research. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. Lee has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.

As faculty director of PEG since 2019, Lee has led community-engaged evaluation projects that strengthen organizational capacity and promote equity in health and social service systems. Previously, Lee was principal investigator and the inaugural director of Michigan’s statewide Title IV-E Child Welfare Educational Program, which advances workforce development across 18 universities and has resulted in millions of dollars of workforce development funding to schools of social work throughout Michigan.

Lee’s leadership and research advance the well-being of children and families through evidence-based interventions, evaluation and inclusive community partnerships.