Dr. Michela Lenzi, Assistant Project Scientist at the Gevirtz School in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, has accepted a position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Developmental and Social Psychology at the University of Padova. Dr. Lenzi has been conducting research at Center of School-based Youth Development (CSBYD) for the past year and is praised for all her accomplishments and dedication to the department.
Lenzi took on the Assistant Project Scientist position to support the research mission of the CSBYD, which is to develop a better understanding of the role of school engagement as a protective force in children’s lives and thereby promote academic, social, emotional, and physical well-being. Under the supervision of Dr. Jill Sharkey, Lenzi’s work has been mostly focused on the evaluation of the Public Safety Realignment Act (AB 109), with the aim to understand the impact of the law, especially in terms of reduced recidivism in low-level convicted felons. Her scientific work has also been focused on school predictors of gang membership and positive youth development, which has led to an evaluation of the impact of community-based individualized programs to help youths develop positive alternatives to violence.
Lenzi’s hard work and dedication to CSBYD has not only made her a phenomenal colleague, but also a great mentor in her productivity and outstanding ability to address research questions. “Michela has been a joy to work with,” Dr. Sharkey says. “Michela tackles complex evaluation questions with enthusiasm, working through challenges to find a successful analytic strategy.” Dr. Erin Dowdy adds, “The Department is now fortunate to be able to include Michela in our international network of colleagues affiliated with the CSBYD.”
Dr. Lenzi received her Ph.D. in Developmental and Social Psychology from the University of Padova, Italy, in 2011, with a dissertation entitled Neighbourhood context and civic development: The role of neighborhood social and structural features in promoting adolescent civic engagement. She then held a position as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the same department while teaching Community Psychology at the Department of Education. She has been a member of the Italian Association of Community Psychology (SIPCO) since 2007 and a member of the international research group Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC), coordinated by the World Health Organization, since 2008. Lenzi also serves as a reviewer for various international scientific journals (e.g., American Journal of Community Psychology, Journal of Community Psychology, International Journal of Public Health, International Journal of Preventive Medicine, Journal of Public Administration and Policy Research).
The research she conducted during the last year has been widely disseminated both in the scientific literature and in the community. Since October 2013, she has made significant contributions at CSBYD by writing numerous scientific papers and reports that include Adolescent Gang Involvement: The role of individual, family, peer, and school factors in a multilevel perspective; The combination and variety of psychological and social assets associated with adolescent victimization: The Configuration Protective Model; School responsibility for adolescent gang involvement: A multilevel analysis; and Evaluation of the impact of community-based individualized programs to help youths develop positive alternatives to violence.