Associate Professor & Executive Director of Transforming Communities Institute
Utah State University
Dr. Jayme Walters is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at Utah State University and the Executive Director of the Transforming Communities Institute (TCI). A first-generation college graduate from rural Illinois, she holds a PhD in Social Work from the University of Tennessee, an MSW from the University of Georgia, and a BSW from Southern Illinois University. Dr. Walters’ work is rooted in a lifelong commitment to advancing the well-being of underserved communities through collaborative and data-informed approaches. Her published scholarship focuses on community and nonprofit development, addressing urgent social issues such as housing insecurity, food security, and substance use. As Executive Director of TCI, Dr. Walters has collaborated with faculty, staff, students, and community partners on community-engaged research and solution building throughout Utah. Notable initiatives include co-founding the WAB Warming Center to serve people experiencing homelessness and co-developing the Community Justice Advocate (CJA) program, a pioneering effort authorized by the Utah Supreme Court to certify non-lawyers to offer limited legal services in debt collection cases. Since joining USU in 2020, Dr. Walters has earned numerous honors for research, teaching, and community engagement, including national recognition from the Council on Social Work Education and several university and college-level awards. Dr. Walters lives in Logan, with her husband Jonathon, director of USU’s Student Nutrition Access Center, their daughter Kate, and their three dogs.
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