Directory Entry For: Jennifer Middleton

Biography

Dr. Jennifer S. Middleton, PhD, MSW, LCSW

Professor | Director, UofL Human Trafficking Research Initiative
University of Louisville, Kent School of Social Work & Family Science

Dr. Jennifer Middleton is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar, educator, and community leader whose work bridges science, systems change, and social justice. As Professor and Director of the Human Trafficking Research Initiative at the University of Louisville, she has dedicated her career to helping organizations, leaders, and communities heal from trauma and structural violence.

With more than $23 million in competitive federal, state, and foundation funding, Dr. Middleton leads large-scale, interdisciplinary initiatives that transform how systems care for vulnerable populations. She is the co-author and co-developer of the Trauma Resilient Communities (TRC) Model, an evidence-informed framework that equips organizations to build resilience, prevent secondary traumatic stress, and sustain trauma-informed leadership. Under her guidance, the TRC Project has been implemented across multiple cities—impacting child welfare systems, community-based organizations, and first responders working on the frontlines of racial trauma and community violence.

Dr. Middleton’s research combines rigorous mixed-methods design with survivor-centered, arts-based methodologies such as photovoice and found poetry. Her studies have illuminated the lived experiences of survivors of childhood sex trafficking, forensic interviewers across the globe, and other helping professionals who shoulder the invisible weight of trauma exposure through their work. Her work has produced validated instruments, including the Trauma Resilient Change Organizational Assessment Survey (TRC-OAS), used nationwide to measure and strengthen organizational health.

Her impact extends far beyond academia. Through partnerships with local governments, nonprofits, and federal agencies—including SAMHSA, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Children’s Bureau—Dr. Middleton has co-created healing ecosystems that advance equity and resilience. Her translational approach, guided by implementation science and trauma-informed leadership, ensures research becomes practice—and practice becomes change.

Dr. Middleton’s scholarship has appeared in leading journals such as Child Abuse & Neglect, Journal of Public Child Welfare, and the International Journal of Forensic Research and Criminology. She has received multiple honors for her contributions, including the Outstanding Community Engagement Award (2024), International Influential Scholar Award (2023), and the Mid-Career Ascending Star Fellowship (2022). Her work exemplifies the University of Louisville’s mission to advance knowledge that uplifts communities and creates lasting social impact.

Research Interests

Dr. Jennifer Middleton’s research sits at the intersection of trauma, resilience, and systems change—where science meets social impact. Her work asks a simple but transformative question: How can organizations and communities not only recover from trauma but grow stronger because of it?

Guided by this vision, Dr. Middleton’s research program centers on designing, implementing, and evaluating trauma-informed systems of care across diverse settings, from child welfare agencies and refugee organizations to law enforcement and community-based networks. She investigates how structural violence, organizational culture, and leadership behaviors shape the wellbeing of both the workforce and the populations they serve. Her studies move beyond individual trauma to reveal the systemic conditions that perpetuate harm—and the organizational strategies that can disrupt it.

At the core of her work is the Trauma Resilient Communities (TRC) Project, a scalable framework that fosters organizational and community healing through resilience-building, equity, and transformational leadership. Through more than $23 million in competitive funding from agencies such as SAMHSA, the Children’s Bureau, and the U.S. Department of Justice, Dr. Middleton and her partners have embedded this model into child welfare, health, and justice systems nationwide. Her projects have improved staff retention, reduced secondary traumatic stress, and transformed local service systems into trauma-resilient ecosystems capable of responding to adversity with strength and compassion.

Dr. Middleton’s current research builds upon this foundation by exploring how organizational resilience and leadership behaviors mitigate the effects of structural violence. She is pioneering the development of new psychometric tools—such as the Trauma Resilient Change Organizational Assessment Survey (TRC-OAS)—to measure trauma-informed change within organizations. Her studies employ mixed-methods and arts-based research, including photovoice and found poetry, to center the voices of survivors of trafficking, frontline professionals, and historically marginalized communities. These creative approaches allow her to translate complex data into human stories that inspire empathy, action, and policy reform.

Ultimately, Dr. Middleton’s research is not confined to the Academy—it is meant to move people, change systems, and heal communities. Her work provides funders and partners with evidence-based strategies to strengthen the human service workforce, enhance community wellbeing, and create sustainable, trauma-resilient systems that advance equity and justice for all.

Degrees and Certifications

Publications

All Scholarly and Creative Works