
Daniel F. Perkins
Professor of Family and Youth Resiliency and Policy; Principal Scientist and Founder, Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness
107 Ferguson Building
814-867-4182
dfp102@psu.edu
Introduction & Projects
"I am committed to translating science in action for improving lives."
Daniel Perkins’ work involves teaching, research, and outreach through the Penn State Cooperative Extension Service.
"I enjoy partnering with others to integrate research and practice in three focus areas:
- Healthy family development (increasing resiliency through evidence-based, strength-based educational programming);
- Implementation science (involving mixed-methods hybrid evaluations of preventions and interventions, implementation outcomes, and community-based delivery models, especially in military-connected contexts); and
- Community collaboration (promoting strategies for mobilizing communities in support of children, youth, and families)."
Recent Publications
The relationship between veterans’ employment program component use and career advancement over time
Morgan, N. R., Davenport, K. E., Aronson, K. R., McCarthy, K. J., Bleser, J. A., & Perkins, D. F. (2022). The relationship between veterans’ employment program component use and career advancement over time. Journal of Veterans Studies, 8(1), 147–163. http://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v8i1.281
Morgan, N. R., Karre, J. K., Aronson, K. R. , McCarthy, K. J., Bleser, J. A., & Perkins, D. F. (2022). Factors influencing parental functioning and satisfaction for veteran mothers during civilian transition. Family Relations. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12669
Missing data in research on youth and family programs
Ballard, J., Richmond, A., van den Hoogenhof, S., Borden, L., & Perkins, D. F. (2021). Missing data in research on youth and family programs. Psychological Reports. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941211026851
Chilenski, S. M., Welsh, J. A., Perkins, D. F., & Hoffman, L. (2020). Going the distance: Technical assistance to community prevention coalitions and its impact on prevention coalitions over time. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cpb0000180
Examining the highs and lows of the collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and prevention implementers
Chilenski, S. M., Welsh, J., Olson, J., Hoffman, L., Perkins, D., & Feinberg, M. E. (2018). Examining the highs and lows of the collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and prevention implementers. Prevention Science, 19, 250-259.
The power of a collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and community prevention teams: A correlational and longitudinal study
Chilenski, S., Perkins, D. F., Olson, J. R., Hoffman, L., Feinberg, M. E., Greenberg, M. T., Welsh, J. A., Crowley, D. M., & Spoth, R. L. (2016). The power of a collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and community prevention teams: A correlational and longitudinal study. Evaluation and Program Planning, 54(1), 19-29. doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2015.10.002
Universal prevention exposure as a moderator of the community context: Findings from the PROSPER project
Chilenski, S., Welsh, J. A., Perkins, D. F., Feinberg, M. E., & Greenberg, M. T. (2016). Universal prevention exposure as a moderator of the community context: Findings from the PROSPER project. American Journal of Community Psychology, 57(12), 819. doi: 00910562
Thriving in school: The role of sixth grade adolescent-parent-school relationships in predicting eighth grade academic outcomes
Welsh, J. A., Chilenski, S., Johnson, L. E., Perkins, D. F., Greenberg, M. T., Berrena, E., & Spoth, R. L. (2016, In Press). Thriving in school: The role of sixth grade adolescent-parent-school relationships in predicting eighth grade academic outcomes. Youth & Society.
Related News

May 06, 2022
Clearinghouse provides searchable database of evidence-based programs
Read more.
February 22, 2021
Prevention coalitions benefit from regular technical assistance, new study shows
There is powerful evidence that regularly scheduled contact between technical assistance providers and community prevention coalitions is important to the coalitions’ success, according to a new study led by Sarah Chilenski, Senior Research Associate and Associate Research Professor at the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center (PRC).
Read more.
February 02, 2021
Support of military families essential to military personnel readiness
The report is the result of a study funded by the Office of Military Community and Family Policy in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The study sought to discover what can be learned from the positive experiences of military families and the support provided by the DoD and service branches. The study also documented the challenges of military life, such as frequent moves, exposure to trauma, and economic and other stresses for both parents and their children.
Read more.
November 30, 2020
Building bridges to improve drug misuse prevention
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Many agencies at the national, state and local levels are working to address the nation’s drug and alcohol misuse crisis. While this provides numerous opportunities for individuals to receive support, efforts across these agencies are often not closely coordinated.
Read more.