Kristen D. Gleason
Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Southern Maine
Chapter Member: Maine SSN
Areas of Expertise:
Connect with Kristen
About Kristen
Gleason received her Ph.D. in Community and Cultural Psychology from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa in 2016. Her current research focuses on understanding the systemic and structural factors that contribute to and maintain homelessness. She is committed to fostering collaborative community partnerships and addressing local concerns in socially just and practical ways.
Contributions
Understanding Human Trafficking in the Hawaiian Islands
Key Findings Brief,
In the News
Opinion: "We Must Create Safe and Inclusive Schools for Students Who Do Not Fit Traditional Gender Roles," Kristen D. Gleason, The Bangor Daily News, March 7, 2025.
Opinion: "We are Failing our LGBTQ+ Unhoused Youth," Kristen D. Gleason, The Bangor Daily News, August 20, 2024.
Opinion: "Homelessness and Housing in Rural Maine," Kristen D. Gleason, The Kennebec Journal , February 22, 2022.
Publications
"Human Trafficking in Hawai`i from the Perspective of Service Providers", 121st Annual Conference of the American Psychological Association, 2013.
Examines the problem of human trafficking in Hawai’i, and how to address issues for service providers that arise in the context of a multi-island state where important resources may not be localized.
"Increasing Knowledge of Sexual Abuse: A Study with Elementary School Children in Hawai`i" (with ). Research on Social Work Practice 23, no. 2 (2013): 167-178.
Evaluates changes in children’s knowledge of sexual abuse using a school-based train-the-trainer curriculum, with emphasis placed on developing a curriculum that considered the unique cultural context in Hawai‘i.
"Puni Ke Ola: Life Flourishes in a Drug-Free Community" (with ). The Community Psychologist 46, no. 3 (2013): 27-29.
Explores how knowledge of Hawaiian cultural values and beliefs and honoring indigenous “ways of knowing” can lead to more effective and meaningful substance abuse prevention programs for Hawaiian youth.