Dr. Avon Hart-Johnson earned her MS in Forensic Psychology in 2011 and her PhD in Human Services in 2015. She studied the effects of incarcerated men on their partners and published her research in a book called African American Women with Incarcerated Mates: The Psychological and Social Impacts of Mass Imprisonment. She is the co-founder and president of DC Project Connect, a nonprofit in the greater Washington, DC, area, which provides women and families of incarcerated individuals with support and programming. Hart-Johnson is also a contributing faculty member at Walden and serves as the faculty liaison for the Alpha Chi chapter of the TUA Honor Society at the National Organization of Human Services.
“Dr. Avon Hart-Johnson inspires her colleagues and students with her actions, and her continued contribution to the field of human services reflects brightly on Walden University and all our graduates can achieve.” – Dr. Barbara Benoliel, Academic Coordinator for Human and Social Services
“Dr. Avon Hart-Johnson shows strong examples of both social change scholarship and community service.” – Dr. Eric Riedel, Provost and Chief Academic Officer
This year we received 44 nominations, representing 11 class years and 21 degree programs. We applaud the following 4 finalists for their commitment to effecting positive social change in their communities:
Adam Burns ’10, MS in Education
Dr. Raymond Chimezie ’13, PhD in Public Health
Dr. Tonya Howard-Calhoun ’15, PhD in Public Policy and Administration
Dr. Robin Joseph ’12, PhD in Psychology
The Outstanding Alumni Award is granted each year to a graduate who exemplifies our mission to effect positive social change by making an impact on his or her profession, discipline, or community. Nominations for next year’s award will open in early 2019.