Christine Stevens, RN, Ph.D.

About
Degrees
Introduction
Dr. Christine Stevens is an associate professor in the UW Tacoma Nursing and Healthcare programs. She received her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science from the University of Washington. Her research focuses on social justice and how structural disadvantages affect health especially in low-income residents and adolescent populations focusing on housing and food insecurity. Dr. Stevens uses participatory research to develop long-term relationships with communities and partners with residents to develop interventions that are relevant at the local level.
Her teaching focuses on the social determinants of health, using social marketing to address social justice in communities, exploring how popular film and media construct our view of adolescents especially in terms of race, class, and gender. She was given the UWT Distinguished Teaching award in 2012 and featured in the Provost 2014 series of Innovators among us: Using technology to engage students.
Stevens (May 2019) UW study finds many students at Tacoma campus struggle to pay rent, get enough to eat. Tacoma News Tribune.
Stevens (October 2018) Faculty engagement and Emergency Aid. Gates Foundation
Stevens (July 2018) How to Engage Faculty on Campuses in Emergency Aid Programs. NASPA National Association of Student Administrators in Higher Education.
Stevens (June 2018) NPR interview: Food Insecurity Is A Growing Obstacle For College Students
Representative Derek Kilmer and Stevens, C.(May 2018) Facebook live chat about Farm Bill and Food insecurity in College Students
UWT ledger (April 2018) Efforts made to combat student food and housing insecurity
UW News (March 2018) Christine Stevens co-leads tri-campus survey on student housing, food insecurity
Stevens, C & McNair, R (September 2017) Homelessness in Tacoma and work of MDC
Stevens, C. (October 2014). Health Centers and Academic Institutions: Promising Practices for Successful Collaborations. National Healthcare for the Homeless. Council
Stevens, C (2011) (Film produced/Grant funded) University and Homeless agency collaborations
Scholarly Interests
- Food insecurity in adolescent populations
- Adolescent health
- Socioeconomic influences on adolescent health
- Public housing and health
- Using technology in adolescent research
- Healthcare for the homeless
- Social marketing
Methodologies
- Qualitative methods
- Visual methods in research
- Critical social theory
- Community evaluation
Honors and Awards
- 2019 Student Choice award for Outstanding Faculty
- 2018 Nominee, City of Destiny
- 2017 Distinguished Community Engagement Award
- 2015 Community Partner Award, Salishan Community Health Advocates
- 2015 Featured in Provost report on Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century report
- 2015 Students Choice: Outstanding faculty (OS3)
- 2014 Featured for teaching in Provost report on Trends and Issues in Higher Education
- 2014 Innovators among us: Using Technology to engage students: featured in Provost Report
- 2012 Distinguished Teaching Award, UW Tacoma
- 2010 Hooding Speaker for Master of Nursing: Faculty selected by students
- 2009 National League of Nursing, Scholarly Writing
- 2009 Nominee, Distinguished Teaching Award, UW Tacoma
- 2008 Nominee, Women of Influence, WA
- 2008 Nominee, Distinguished Teaching Award, UW Tacoma
- 2006 Hooding Speaker: Faculty selected by student
- 2006 Volunteer of the Year, Faith Homes Shelter for Homeless Teens, Tacoma, Washington
- 2003 Volunteer of the Year, Faith Homes Shelter for Homeless Teens, Tacoma, Washington
Current Research
Student Housing and Food Insecurity Study
https://evans.uw.edu/student-housing-and-food-insecurity-study
Fyall, Stevens & Manzo
The purpose of the Student Housing and Food Insecurity Study is to understand the prevalence of housing and food insecurity among university students across the University of Washington’s (UW’s) three campuses (UW-Seattle, UW-Tacoma, and UW-Bothell). This study is motivated not only by concerns regarding the increased cost of living in the Puget Sound region, but also by the lack of systematic information about how UW students on all three campuses might be affected by these economic changes. This study is the first to systematically examine the extent of housing and food insecurity among the entire University of Washington student population.
Overall, this research project seeks to address the following research questions:
- How prevalent is housing and food insecurity among UW students across all campuses – Seattle, Tacoma, and Bothell?
- What are the characteristics of UW students experiencing housing and/or food insecurity?
- What factors are associated with housing and food insecurity among UW students?
This study is a project of Urban@UW’s Homelessness Research Initiative.
Access is not Equity: Expanding Cultural Food Resources
To address the basic needs of all our student and to promote an inclusive environment,I proposed to increase culturally relevant items in our food pantry that accommodate diversity of diets, a practice that contributes to creating a welcoming sense of community, demonstrates cultural relevancy, and advances our mission of integration equitable practices for student success. Nourish Pierce County is the largest food supplier to UWT Food pantry and all food banks in Pierce County and would also like to explore the cultural food needs of the diverse communities that they serve. This partnership uses UWT research resources to explore UWT students and Pierce County food insecure residents’ needs for cultural foods. Based on the results of surveys and focus groups , Nourish will be able t to use its network of food suppliers and farms to distribute cultural foods wanted by UWT students and food insecure clients of Pierce County
Nov 2017-present:
Housing vouchers to address college student housing insecurity
Sara Goldrick Rab-Temple University
Stevens-TCC Tacoma research partner
July 2017-present:
Emergency Aid
Gates Foundation
UWT Team
July 2017-present:
Tricampus Food and housing insecurity survey
Fyall, Stevens, & Manzo, Co PIs
Food insecurity among college students
Principal investigator
Nursing Founders Funding
Healthcare for the Homeless and University Collaborations
National Healthcare for the Homeless Coalition
Co-PI
Salishan Hope IV Evaluation
Study of a Multi-Ethnic housing development
PI of project
Nurse Retention Study - Two Year Longitudinal Study
Factors that influence new RN retention within the first two years following graduation
Funding: Middleton Family Grant
Stevens & Moceri, Co-PIs
Center for the Advancement of Health Disparities, Pilot study funding
Food insecurity of Female Head of Households (ages 15- 24)
Principal investigator, Images and Voices: Adolescent Mothers
Negotiating Socioeconomic Environments and Health, Dissertation, University of Washington