John (Jack) Barile

Background

I have long been interested in health and quality of life but narrowed my focus on efforts to improve the lives of traditionally marginalized communities after years of work within traditional psychiatric facilities and community-based social services. My goal as a researcher and educator has been to understand the dynamic interactions that occur between people and place in hopes to improve the circumstances for those who may otherwise be left behind. I believe that people can make a difference when we focus our efforts on cooperation over competition, remember that context matters, and never ignore alternative views.

Education

• PhD, Community Psychology, Georgia State University, 2010
• MS, Experimental Psychology, Old Dominion University, 2005
• BS, Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, 2001

Courses

• PSY 280: Introduction to Community Psychology
• PSY 476: Health Psychology
• PSY 680: Cultural Community Psychology
• PSY 682: Practicum: Behavioral Change and Community
• PSY 781: Community Psychology Seminar
• PSY 789: Community Psychology Research

Research

My current work ranges from program development and evaluation with local non-profit organizations to large-scale studies on social determinants of health. I am interested in determining how individual and community-level factors impact the quality of life of adolescents and adults. This line of research includes the study of how housing, crime, and other social conditions contribute to adverse childhood experiences, multiple chronic conditions, and mortality. Methodologically, I utilize a range of quantitative techniques to estimate individual and contextual effects, and often pair these designs with participatory approaches to identify and address pressing issues in our community.