Selected

M.S.L., Yale School of Law (1996)
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of California, Berkeley (1989)
B.A. and M.S., Psychological Services in Education, University of Pennsylvania (1982)

Maconda Brown O’Connor Professor, Smith College School for Social Work; Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology, Smith College (2006–present)
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Smith College School for Social Work (2017–2021)
Director, Clinical Research Institute; Chair of Human Behavior and the Social Environment; Chair of Research Sequence; Chair of Human Subjects Committee, Smith College School for Social Work
Visiting Scholar, Center for Research on Families, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2007–2010)
Faculty and Director roles at Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut Mental Health Center, and The Consultation Center (1990–2006)
Clinical and consulting private practice focused on young adults, couples, parenting, and coparenting (1991–present)

American Board of Professional Psychology, Couple and Family Psychology (2011)
Psychologist license, State of Massachusetts (2012–present)
Psychologist license, State of New York (2022–present)
American Psychological Fellow, Division 43: Society for Couple and Family Psychology (2019)
Family Therapy certificate, University of Pennsylvania School of Education / Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic
Basic Divorce Mediation, “Mediation Matters”
Certified Prevention Professional-Reciprocal, Connecticut Certification Board
Collaborative Divorce and ADR Training (2005)

Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (2003)
Men-in-Families Best Research Article Award, National Council on Family Relations (2010)
Children and Young People Now Best Family Support Intervention National Award for Parents as Partners / SFI-UK (2017)
John VanDuzer Award for Service and Leadership, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (2020)
Meyer Elkin Award: Article of the Year, Family Court Review (2024)
Career Research Award, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (2026)
Invited United Nations presentation: Future of Work, Future of Justice: Strengthening Legal Pathways for Women’s Economic Empowerment (2026)

More than 50 grants and contracts obtained for research and program implementation.
Principal Investigator, Collaborative Divorce Project — Smith Richardson Foundation and related follow-on foundation support.
Co-investigator, Supporting Father Involvement — California Department of Social Services.
Principal Investigator, Competence Promotion in Middle School / Community Support Services Team — U.S. Department of Education.
Regional school crisis prevention and response initiatives funded through community and state partners, together with evaluation and intervention grants spanning youth development, divorce outcomes for children, and family-service innovation.

Admissions Committee, Smith College School for Social Work
Human Subjects Review Committee, Smith College SSW (including Assistant Chair, Acting Chair, Co-Chair, and Chair roles)
Doctoral Committee, Smith College School for Social Work
Clinical Research Institute Committee and Director, Smith College SSW
Personnel Practices Committee, Curriculum Committee, Sponsored Research Committee, and related governance work at Smith
Working Group on Holistic Assessment of Teaching; JED working group on well-being; Strategic Visioning Group; Anti-Racism Planning Group

Maconda Brown O’Connor Professor, Smith College School for Social Work; Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology, Smith College.
Twenty years of experience as director, chair, and associate dean at Smith College School for Social Work.
Teaching across postdoctoral, predoctoral, doctoral and masters programs in psychiatry, social work and undergraduate psychology, including courses on training, working in communities, separating and divorcing families, coparenting, human trafficking, family policy, grant writing, research training, and clinical social work practice.
Leadership roles included Director of Child and Adolescent Programs (Yale), Director of the Clinical Research Institute, Chair of Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Chair of the Research Sequence, Chair of the Human Subjects Committee, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (Smith).

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts leadership included Board of Directors service and Executive Committee roles through President and Immediate Past President, with the John VanDuzer Award for Service and Leadership following that work.
Service on the Connecticut Governor’s Commission on Divorce, Custody and Children, the Massachusetts Governor’s Commission on Child Centered Family Laws, the Massachusetts Judicial Task Force on Voice of the Child, and related family-law reform efforts.
Recent leadership and community engagement include Executive Board and committee work with the Massachusetts chapter of AFCC and Board service with Jewish Family Services.