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Deborah Lynn Puntenney, Ph.D.



Deborah Puntenney Research Associate Professor





Biography
Deborah Puntenney, PhD, currently holds the title of research associate professor in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University and is a member of the adjunct faculty at the University of Chicago. She also operates her own research and consulting firm specializing in the areas of asset-based community development, community-based participatory research, program evaluation, and social justice strategies for philanthropic and nonprofit organizations. All of her work emphasizes strengthening neighborhood, nonprofit, philanthropic and other organizations through the design and implementation of asset-oriented strategies.

Deborah teaches university courses in several topic areas, including the family in a changing society, U.S. social welfare policy, asset-based community development, and gender and the life course. Her research and writing emphasize themes related to community, gender, social justice and social policy.

Deborah has been a colleague of John McKnight and Jody Kretzmann at the Asset-Based Community Development Institute for more than 20 years, and contributed broadly to its community-building research. In addition to authoring many of the institute’s publications, Puntenney has extensive experience working directly with community groups designing community-based participatory research projects, and partnering with them on the implementation of those efforts. Her research has taken her beyond the traditional definition of community, exploring the application of asset-based community development principles to nonprofit and philanthropic settings, as well as to specific areas of interest, including aging and health. Her current work in Rochester, New York focuses on asset-based community development as a strategy for addressing the social determinants of health. She is also working with KaBOOM! on a multi-project exploration of how providing playground builders with community building support impacts the way they leverage the assets they mobilized toward their playgrounds. Deborah has three publications forthcoming in 2013. The first, with co-author Barbara Zappia, is a chapter on Place-Based Strategies for Addressing the Social Determinants of Health that will appear in a series edited by Kevin Fitzpatrick and titled Poverty and Health in America. In the same series, with co-authors Katie Grimm and Jessica Walker, Deborah authored Improving Health/Reducing Inequity: Asset-Based Community Development. Also in 2013, Deborah has contributed an entry on Asset Mapping to the Sage Encyclopedia of Action Research, edited by Coghlan and Brydon-Miller. In 2009 Deborah and Jody Kretzmann co-authored a chapter in an edited volume by Gary Paul Green, titled Mobilizing Communities: Asset Building as a Community Development Strategy.

Curriculum Vitae
Adobe Acrobat PDF View Deborah Puntenney's CV.

Research/Scholarship
Education
Year Degree Institution
1997 PhD, Human Dev & Social Pol
Human Development and Social Policy 		Northwestern University
1992 MA, Human Dev & Social Pol
Human Development and Social Policy 		Northwestern University
1982 Bachelor of Arts California State University at Humboldt

Dissertation
Year Title  
1997 Poor Mothers at Work: Balancing Family and Labor Market Responsibilities in an Inner City Community

Selected Publications
Puntenney, Deborah, & Zappia, Barbara (April, 2013). Place-Based Strategies for Improving Health Disparities in Fitzpatrick, Kevin, Poverty and Health in America ABC CLIO.

Puntenney, Deborah, Grimm, Katie, & Walker, Jessica (April, 2013). Improving Health/Reducing Inequity: Asset-Based Community Development in Fitzpatrick, Kevin, Poverty and Health in America ABC-CLIO.

Puntenney, Deborah (April, 2013). Asset Mapping in Coghlan, D., & Brydon-Miller, M., Sage Encyclopedia of Action Research Sage Publications.

Puntenney, Deborah, & Kretzmann, John (April, 2010). Neighborhood Approaches to Asset Mobilization: Building Chicago's West Side in Green Gary, & Goetting, Ann, Mobilizing Communities: Asset Building as a Community Development Strategy Temple University Press.

Puntenney, Deborah; Grumm, Christine; Katz-Kishawi, Emily (2005). Women's Biggest Contribution: A View of Social Change in Clift, Elayne, Women, Philanthropy, and Social Change University Press of New England.

Puntenney, Deborah (2002). Book Review: Asset Building and Community Development. Journal of the American Planning Association: 320-21.

Deborah Puntenney (2000). Working at the Margins: Poor Mothers and Survival in the Inner City in Hodson, Randy, Marginal Employment: Research in the Sociology of Work JAI Press.

Puntenney, Deborah (1999). The Work of Mothers: Strategies for Survival in an Inner-City Neighborhood. Journal of Poverty.

Puntenney, Deborah; Lewis, Dan; George, Christine (1999). Welfare Reform in Illinois: Recent Efforts in the Context of the National Debate in Joseph, Lawrence, Families, Poverty, and Welfare Reform University of Chicago.

Puntenney, Deborah (1997). The Impact of Gang Violence on the Decisions of Everyday Life. Journal of Urban Affairs.

Selected Presentations
Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. & Barbara Zappia, MPA (August, 2012). Health and Place: Activating Communities around the Social Determinants of Health. Annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Denver, CO.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (June, 2012). Authentic Resident Engagement. Annual meeting of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service. Chicago, IL.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. & Barbara Zappia, MPA (April, 2012). Toward Health Equity: Engaging Neighborhood Residents in the Creation of Opportunities for Healthy Living. Annual meeting of the New York State Public Health Association. Albany, NY.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. & Barbara Zappia, MPA (August, 2010). Grassroots Activism and Community Health Improvement. Annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Atlanta, GA.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (April, 2010). Health Assets for Young People's Well Being. Symposium/Forum in honor of the EU Spanish Presidency. Seville, Spain.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (June, 2009). Building Healthy Kids; Building Healthy Communities. Annual meeting of the National Conference on Chronic Disease Prevention and Control. National Harbor, MD.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (June, 2009). Building Active Communities One Playground at a Time. Annual meeting of Active Living Research. San Diego, CA.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (August, 2008). Philanthropic Organizations and Participatory Research. Annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Boston, MA.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (June, 2007). Forging Relationships Between Communities and Healthcare Organizations. Annual research meeting of AcademyHealth. Orlando, FL.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (May, 2007). International Museum of Women: Engaging Global Audiences Online. Annual meeting of the American Association of Museums. Chicago, IL.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (August, 2006). Work and Family Life Contextualized in Social and Political Contexts. Annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Montreal, Canada.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (August, 2005). The Unintended Consequences of Strategic Actions in the Movement to End Violence Against Women. Annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Philadelphia, PA.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (August, 2004). The Women’s Funding Movement: Investing in Long-Term Change. Annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. San Francisco, CA.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (2004). Aging Well: An Asset-Based Approach. Annual joint meeting of the American Society on Aging and National Council on Aging. San Francisco, CA.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (2001). Victims of Violence: An Expanded Analysis of the Impact of Violence on Women. Annual meeting of the Urban Affairs Association. Detroit, MI.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (2001). Community Organizing for Asset-Based Development: Preliminary Findings from a National Working Grou. Annual meeting of the Urban Affairs Association. Detroit, MI.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (2000). Opening the Door for Citizen Involvement: Engaging Residents in the Planning Process and Beyond. Annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Washington, DC.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (1998). Neighborhood Planning from the Capacities Perspective. Annual meeting of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. New York, NY.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (1998). Poor Mothers at Work: Family Health Problems, Labor Market, and Caregiving Responsibilities. Annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. San Francisco, CA.

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D. (1998). The Work of Mothers: Strategies for Survival in an Inner-City Neighborhood. Annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. San Francisco, CA.

Deborah Puntenney (1996). Welfare Reform in Illinois: Recent Efforts in the Context of the National Debate. Annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. New York, NY.

Deborah Puntenney (1996). The Impact of Gang Violence on the Decisions of Everyday Life. Annual meeting of the Urban Affairs Association; Runner-up for the Best Conference Paper Award. New York, NY.

Deborah Puntenney (1996). Forging a Partnership Between a University and Public Housing Resident Organization. Annual meeting of the Midwest Sociological Society. Chicago, IL.
Projects
ABCD Institute
Research Interests
Community engagement and community development, examining the application of asset-based community development principles and practices in local development efforts for the broader lessons specific projects produce.


Teaching/Advising
Courses
SESP 317 Gender and the Life Course How age and sex serve as a basis for the social construction of men's and women's lives.  How social forces operate to create contrasting life trajectories, role patterns, and transitions; the role of social policies.  Comparative view of different societies and periods in recent history.
SESP 319 Family Development in a Changing Society Societal changes and their effects on the family.



Service/Recognition
Professional Service
Year Organization Position Description
2007 Peace X Peace Research Advisory Council
2007 Grantmaking School of Grand Valley State University of Michigan Curriculum Development Consultant
2006 Hennepin County, Minnesota Organizational Development Consultant
2006 Christopher House of Chicago Organizational Development Consultant
2005 Chicago Foundation for Women Organizational Development Consultant
2003 Juvenile and Child Protection Resource Section of the Circuit Court of Cook County Community Development Consultant
2002 Chicago Wilderness Community Development Consultant
2000 Grand Victoria Foundation of Illinois Organizational Development Consultant

Editorial Boards
Year Journal Name Position
2002 Sociological Perspectives Editorial Reviewer
2000 Journal of Poverty Editorial Reviewer

Last Updated: 2012-11-01 10:08:55

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