Daphne C. Watkins Jacobs

Daphne C. Watkins is a professor of social work and a University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor at the University of Michigan. She became interested in mixed methods research during her quest to uncover the “voices behind the numbers” as a doctoral student. Professor Watkins has taught research methods to health and human service professionals for more than two decades. After noticing the lack of post-graduate research training, Professor Watkins developed the first Certificate Program in Mixed Methods Research at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. The certificate program -- designed for researchers and practitioners interested in doing mixed methods research in practice settings -- was the motivation behind her first book Mixed Methods Research (2015, Oxford University Press) for the Pocket Guides to Social Work Research Methods Series. In addition to developing culturally-appropriate strategies for conducting mixed methods, Professor Watkins developed the Rigorous and Accelerated Data Reduction (RADaR) technique, an individual and team-based approach to organizing, coding, and analyzing qualitative data. Professor Watkins is particularly interested in using secondary data in mixed methods research and has been awarded grants that address health disparities and achieve health equity. Professor Watkins is the founding director of the Gender and Health Research (GendHR) Lab and the award-winning Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health (YBMen) Project, which leverages technology to provide mental health education and social support for young Black men. She currently directs the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training at the University of Michigan.