Dr. Janine M. Jones

Dr. Janine M. Jones is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Graduate Affairs and Anne and Michael Towbes Dean of the Graduate Division at UC Santa Barbara. As the first AVC for Graduate Affairs at UCSB, Jones is committed to fostering a positive climate for faculty and graduate students while also navigating pressing issues in graduate education like securing funding for graduate students, addressing declining enrollments, right-sizing graduate programs, integrating law-aligned policies for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and improving the socio-emotional climate and wellbeing for graduate students.

Before taking on her leadership role here at the Graduate Division, Jones served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Washington College of Education. A Licensed Psychologist and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, Jones has received the National Association of School Psychologists Presidential Award, the Black School Psychologists Network Inaugural Summit’s Legend in School Psychology Award, and was inducted into the Society for the Study of School Psychology in 2021. From 2018 through 2024, she served as Vice President for Professional Affairs with the American Psychological Association: Division 16, and is an elected member of the American Psychological Association’s Board of Professional Affairs.

As a Professor of School Psychology in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, Jones’ research focuses on providing culturally responsive school-based interventions that address the socio-emotional health of students of color. Specifically, she integrates the cultural factors that are associated with resilience in racially diverse youth including the study of racial identity and belonging as critical elements in school engagement for youth of color. Her expertise in population health is also represented in her work with the Aspen Institute’s Health Strategy Group’s 2024 report on the Addressing the Youth Mental Health Crisis.

A nationally renowned scholar, author, and editor, Jones has delivered numerous keynote addresses and distinguished lectures, over 50 publications, and offered more than 80 presentations focused on culturally responsive practices and supporting the needs of youth of color. Her book The Psychology of Multiculturalism in the Schools: A Primer for Practice, Training, and Research has been adopted widely by school psychology training programs as a textbook for classes on multicultural school psychology and was identified by the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt) as a “tool you can use.”