College of Education and Human Development

Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development

Mary O'Brien McAdaragh

  • Pronouns: she, her, hers

  • Doctoral Student, ES

Mary O'Brien McAdaragh

Areas of interest

  • Traumatic stress
  • Social environment
  • Public narrative
  • Evaluation use
  • Social work
Degrees

MSW, University of Michigan, 2015
BS, Social Work, University of St. Catherine, 2007

Biography

I am interested in evaluative methods and practice to further understand what works in addressing complex social issues. Specifically, I study the relationship between traumatic stress and the social environment and the ways social workers use evaluation in practice.

Prior to starting the PhD program, I worked as a researcher and evaluator in a number of capacities and issue areas, including poverty, human rights, domestic violence, racial equity, sex trafficking, education, food security, and community violence. I am passionate about working with individuals and communities to document lived experience and interested in evaluation for its ability to better understand and communicate complex stories of social change.

Publications

McAdaragh, M. O., LaVelle, J. M., & Zhang, L. (2020). Evaluation and Supporting Inquiry Courses in MSW Programs. Research on Social Work Practice, 30(7), 750–759. doi.org/10.1177/1049731520921243