Overview
The Evelyn Duvall Endowed Chair of Family and Community Health was established in 1986 through a generous gift from Dr. Evelyn Duvall, a pioneering scholar in family development and family functioning whose work on the family life cycle continues to shape contemporary theory and practice.
The creation of this endowed chair laid the foundation for decades of scholarship and community impact focused on:
- Advancing family and community health research
- Strengthening meaningful community engagement
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Translating research into applied practice
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Building sustainable human service capacity in the Sarasota–Manatee region
Today, the Duvall Chair functions as both a regional and national hub for community-engaged
research, strategic partnerships, and systems-level innovation designed to improve
family and community well-being.
Originally held by Dr. Jane Roberts (2009–2022), the Chair was awarded to Dr. Dane Minnick in 2024 to expand this legacy through an enhanced focus on behavioral health systems,
prevention infrastructure, workforce development, and applied research.
The Duvall Chair currently advances this mission through four core pillars:
- The Duvall Initiative – A strategic community–academic partnership strengthening local human service capacities.
- The Duvall Journal of Family and Community Health – A national open-access academic publication.
- The Duvall Research Agenda – A coordinated national research portfolio focused on implementation, workforce development, and translational science.
- The Association of MSW Program Directors (AMPD) – A national leadership infrastructure for MSW education.