Robin Toof

Expertise

Community-university partnerships, program evaluation, community-engaged scholarship, qualitative research, grant writing

Research Interests

Education

Ed.D.: Higher Education Administration, University of Massachusetts Boston
M.A.: Community Social Psychology, Certificate in Regional Economic and Social Development, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Biosketch

Robin Toof, EdD, Director, UMass Lowell Center for Community Research & Engagement (CCRE) has a doctorate in Higher Education Administration and a master’s in Community Social Psychology. She has worked in the field of research and evaluation, community partnerships, program management and facilitation for over 30 years. CCRE has been awarded over $22 million in grants and contracts in its history from foundations and local, state, and federal government agencies. Example research and evaluation projects include: several City of Lowell Bureau of Justice Assistance funded opioid outreach partnership programs; cities of Lowell, Springfield, and Chelsea Bureau of Justice Assistance funded Community-based Crime Reduction programs; Chelsea Hub Model approach to community mobilization for targeted intervention funded by the Bloomberg Foundation; Lowell Police Department’s Executive Office of Public Safety and Security funded community safety initiative and their Second Chance Act Ex-Offender Reentry Strategic Planning and Demonstration grant; Lowell Community Health Center’s HIV prevention, substance abuse prevention, and healthy teens programming and CDC-funded Cambodian Community Health 2010 health disparities reduction program; four Center for Substance Abuse Prevention projects located in Lowell, Worcester and Lawrence; Lowell School Department’s health curriculum; Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and Lowell Housing Authority’s partnership to improve services to elders and disable residents; and Family Service, Inc.’s HIV/AIDS prevention, Marriage Enrichment, and AMIGOS mentoring programs.

She teaches graduate courses in grant writing, working with groups, community social psychology practicum, and program evaluation and has supervised numerous graduate students independent studies and practicum projects.