Elan C. Hope, PhD

Elan C. Hope, PhD, is the Program Area Director for Research and Evaluation at Policy Research Associates. As Program Area Director, Dr. Hope develops and provides oversight on research projects and uses her area’s research findings to inform and strengthen PRA’s technical assistance efforts. Dr. Hope has a strong background in research focused on academic, civic, and psychological well-being for racially marginalized groups, youth, and emerging adults.

Dr. Hope takes an assets-based approach to understanding individual and community factors that promote well-being for adolescents and young adults, particularly structural barriers to wellness. Dr. Hope uses qualitative and quantitative methods to examine factors related to behavioral health and well-being, including racial identity, critical consciousness, socialization, and activism. Dr. Hope is also an Associate Editor at the Journal of Adolescent Research. Prior to joining PRA, Dr. Hope was an associate professor of psychology and a university scholar at NC State University.

Dr. Hope is from Prince George’s County, Maryland. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Smith College and her PhD in Education and Psychology from the University of Michigan. Following graduate school, Dr. Hope completed a post-doctoral fellowship (sponsored by the William T. Grant Foundation) in Comparative Human Development at the University of Chicago.