Katrina Debnam

Katrina J. Debnam is an Associate Professor of Education in the Research, Statistics, and Evaluation Program within the Department of Educational Leadership, Foundations & Policy at the School of Education and Human Development. She serves as Director of Youth-Nex, a transdisciplinary research center at the University of Virginia dedicated to expanding and applying the science of positive youth development. Professor Debnam also holds a joint appointment in UVA's School of Nursing and an adjunct appointment in the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She was trained at Morgan State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Maryland, College Park.

As Director of Youth-Nex, Professor Debnam collaborates with scholars and community organizations to promote youth wellness through preventing violence, physical and mental health challenges, substance abuse, and school failure. Her scholarship is driven by a commitment to improving health outcomes for marginalized adolescents through community-based violence prevention strategies. Her research centers on three interrelated areas of adolescent health: teen dating violence prevention and early intervention, creating equitable school environments, and the role of religion and spirituality in youth development.

Professor Debnam has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed articles and co-edited a 2024 special issue of Prevention Science focused on advancing health equity among Black communities. In 2022, she received the UVA Research Achievement Award for Research Excellence, which recognizes faculty who have produced a substantial body of high-quality scholarship and demonstrated emerging leadership in their field. In January 2026, she was awarded a visiting professorship in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary, where she engaged students, faculty, and community partners to advance her work in health equity, youth development, and violence prevention. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Education Sciences, and the William T. Grant Foundation, and has appeared in such journals as the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Prevention Science, Trauma, Violence & Abuse, and School Psychology Review. She currently serves as an Associate Editor for Prevention Science and on the editorial board of the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

Professor Debnam is deeply committed to mentorship, dismantling structural and systemic barriers, and supporting the healthy development of marginalized youth. She prioritizes equitable community engagement, participatory research methods, and ensuring that all voices are heard and represented. Outside of her academic work, she is a proud auntie, an enthusiastic foodie, and a devoted fan of all things Baltimore.

Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, 2012
MPH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2003
B.S., Morgan State University, 2001

Curriculum Vitae

• Structural and contextual influences on romantic relationship development and dating abuse among young Black women
• Culturally sustaining and equitable school environments for marginalized youth
• The role of religion and spirituality in youth development