Jennifer McCleary

Jennifer McCleary has over 10 years of research and program evaluation experience in the areas of refugee resettlement and community development, substance use, and culturally grounded behavioral health interventions. Jennifer prioritizes using anti-oppressive and participatory approaches to research. Past projects include working with Karen community members to develop and evaluate substance use treatment programs, partnering with federal agencies to support Anishinaabe Tribal child welfare capacity-building programs, and investigating young adults’ conceptualizations of community development in urban neighborhoods in New Orleans. Prior to coming to Wilder Research in 2022, Jennifer was an Associate Professor in the University of Minnesota Duluth Department of Social Work.

She holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Washington Seattle and a Ph.D. in social work from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.