George D. Julnes

Biography

I began my doctoral work in psychology with a vague interest in trying to help the world in some way. Through internships as a counselor with the Family Court in Hawaii and as a researcher in a multicultural educational institution dedicated to improving academic outcomes for ethnic Hawaiian children, I became interested in promoting effective public policies and programs. And so, after completing my Ph.D. in psychology (clinical/community) at the University of Hawaii, I returned to school to study business and public policy at the University of Michigan. With this background, I went on to teach public administration with a focus on program evaluation. My inspiration is a belief that Americans will support policies and programs that are effective, and so it is the job of evaluators to help inform the debates on these matters. In addition to my writings on evaluation theory and methodology, I have led and worked on evaluation projects funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Social Security Administration. I moved to UB from Utah State University in 2008 along with my wife, Patria, who is also a faculty member in the School of Public Affairs, and two sons, Peter and Alexander (with a third son, Thomas, remaining behind to attend college in Utah).

Research Interest

Psychology Health and Human Services