DaVonti’ Haynes, MSW, Ph.D., Managing Associate, is a data-driven scholar-practitioner dedicated to enhancing and supporting the development and implementation of strategies and initiatives focused on education and workforce equity in urban and rural communities, particularly in the Appalachian region. He brings expertise in conducting trauma-informed and culturally responsive research to explore and understand the experiences of youth and the issues they face related to college and career readiness, community engagement, relationships with caring adults, and leadership. He is proficient in research designs that use qualitative and quantitative methods to amplify the lived experiences and voices of youth and young people. He is also skilled in facilitating group processes and has used these skills to support youth only and youth and adult advisory committees and workgroups. His work takes a multidisciplinary approach, aiming to connect education, employment, and community for youth with different and intersecting identities.
DaVonti’ has co-led the design and execution of research and evaluation projects to examine and understand the lived experiences of young people who are not working, enrolled in school, or connected to other pro-social institutions; provided oversight for college success and career preparation programs (e.g., University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Cooperative Extension’s Connecting the Dots and Next Chapter programs and The Ohio State University’s Social Change Department); managed youth civic engagement programs (e.g., iBELIEVE’s iSERVE program); and developed and implemented mentoring initiatives for college and university students. DaVonti’ has also taught at the post-secondary level at The Ohio State University and Temple University. As part of these experiences, he also built partnerships between community organizations and academic institutions.
DaVonti’ has published and presented on research approaches suited for engaging marginalized youth, studies about the academic experiences of students in urban and rural settings, and myths about the rural and urban divide at different conferences, including the American Education Research Association, the Appalachian Studies Association, and the Council in Social Work Education’s annual conferences.
He holds a doctoral degree and a Master’s of Science degree in Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership from The Ohio State University. He also has a master’s degree in social work and a bachelor’s degree in public policy.
Beyond his professional pursuits, DaVonti’, who lives in Pennsylvania, likes to travel and spend time with family.
Notable Publications and Presentations
Savage, S.S., Johnson, R.M., Kenney, A.J., & Haynes, D.D. (2021). Perspectives of Conducting Humanizing and Liberatory Educational Research with Systemically Marginalized Youth. Healthcare, 9, 1317
Haynes, D.D., Michaels, A., & Fox, J. (2021). OSU Extension in Urban Communities: A Case Study. The Journal of Extension, 59(3), Article 17.
Fletcher Jr, E.C. & Haynes, D.D. (2020). Traditional Students as Second Class Citizens through Modern Day Tracking. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR), 1-20.
In Pursuit of Consequential Truths: BlackCrit Interrogations of Postsecondary Education and the Black Student Experience – An Investigative of Black Urban and Appalachian Students’ Academic and Social Integration Into Higher Education. (2023). Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting. Chicago, IL.
They Succeed, but How? An Examination of Appalachian Students Adjustment to Higher Education Academics. (2023). Presented at the Appalachian Studies Association conference. Athens, OH.
Humanizing and Liberatory: Imperatives for Equitable Postsecondary Education Systems in the 21st Century – An Investigative Inquiry into the Academic and Social Integration of Urban and Appalachian Students. (2022). Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting. San Diego, CA.
Exemplary Projects
Deputy Project-Director, Connecticut’s Unspoken Crisis, The Dalio Foundation
Co-led the design and execution of a research project to examine and understand the lived experience of young people (14- to 26-year-olds) who are not working, enrolled in school, or connected to other pro-social institutions (e.g., housing, health care).
Assistant Extension Educator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska
Provided oversight for Cooperative Extension’s Connecting the Dots and Next Chapter programs.
Assistant Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, iBelieve Foundation , Columbus/Ohio
Developed a knowledge management system that ensured maximum sharing of information and learning throughout the organization and oversaw all data management platforms. Managed all aspects of the iSERVE program and civic engagement activities, and led the development and expansion of the Columbus City Schools Urban Education Outreach programming.