Steven Krauss

  • Associate Professor
  • 4-H State Specialist in Volunteerism and Youth-Adult Partnerships

Dr. Steven Krauss received an M.S. in Social Work from Columbia University (NY), and a PhD in Youth Studies from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2005. His research program is grounded in an applied developmental systems perspective and broadly aims to understand the socio-ecological mechanisms that contribute to positive youth development.

Through a youth-adult partnership lens, much of Dr. Krauss’ work has attempted to understand the different ways that developmental relationships support thriving among adolescents and young adults from diverse backgrounds, and within diverse program settings. With over 20 years of experience living and working in Southeast Asia, Dr. Krauss also explores the unique ways culture and spirituality shape youth development. He employs various research methods in his work with an emphasis on qualitative and mixed methods designs. Future directions of interest include investigating the emergence and sustainability of best practices within positive youth development programs over time.

Areas of Expertise

  • Positive youth development
  • Youth-adult relationships and partnerships
  • Youth development program quality and evaluation
  • Spirituality and religion as inputs to youth development
  • Research at HDFS