Alexandria Forte, MSW, is a doctoral candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on the impact of food insecurity on the health and well-being of marginalized groups including BIPOC families, and youth. Alexandria has worked as a graduate research assistant with Drs. Lisa Zerden and Brianna Lombardi on healthcare workforce research efforts demonstrating the importance of social work in healthcare and on the health outcomes of patients. Alexandria has had extensive experience on teams using qualitative and quantitative methods.
After completing her MSW, Alexandria developed a community-based program for minoritized youth interested in joining the health care workforce. While case-managing students and their families, their own health disparities were striking, specifically, the access to healthy food. This work has fueled her research interest in understanding the experience of food insecurity and its impacts on the overall physical and mental health of minoritized youth.
Degrees and Licenses
BA, Villanova University
MSW, University of Denver
Primary Program
Doctoral Education
Research and Professional Interests
Food Insecurity
Mental Health
BIPOC Communities
Youth
Nutrition Policy
Recent Publications
Villodas, M.L., Forte, A.B. & Blank Wilson, A. (2023). Examining the influence of the neighborhood environment on stress among Black American adolescents: A scoping review. Youth and Society
Legette, K., Iruka, I., Halberstadt, A., & Forte, A. B. (2023) Recognizing systemic and individual racial bias in teachers as a first step towards anti-racist schools. Teaching and Teacher Education
Masa R., Shangani, S., Baca-Atlas, S., Forte, A. B., & Operario, D. (2022). Exchanging sex for food: Exploring factors affecting young transgender adults’ involvement in sexual exploitation due to food insecurity. International Journal of Transgender Health
Masa, R., Forte, A.B., & Villodas, M. (2022). Direct and indirect associations of weight status, self-efficacy, and gender attitudes with cognitive and academic skills among adolescent girls in Zambia. Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 1-13.
Dawes, H., Klein, L., Hirst, L., Forte, A.B., Gibbs, D., & Hall, W. (2022). Experiences of Queer people of color in mental health services and substance abuse services: A systematic review. Journal of Society of Social Work and Research
de Saxe Zerden, L., Richman, E. L., Lombardi, B. M., & Forte, A. B. (2022) Frontline, essential, and invisible: The needs of low-wage workers in hospital settings during COVID-19. Workplace Health & Safety. DOI: 10.1177/21650799221108490
Presentations, Workshops and Media
Villodas, M.L., Forte, A.B., & Dawes, H.C. Unequal Beginnings: Responding to the Needs of Underrepresented Doctoral Students. Paper presented at the 2022 Annual Program Meeting for the Council on Social Work Education, Anaheim, CA. November 10–13, 2022.
Forte, A.B., Perez Portillo, A., Masa, R., & Zerden, L. Hunger and Health: A Scoping Review Exploring Health Outcomes Associated with Food Insecurity for Youth (0-19 years). Poster presented at: Society for Social Work Research. 2022 January 14-17; Washington, D.C.
Masa, R., *Forte, A.B., & Villodas, M. Direct and indirect effects of underweight, self-efficacy, and gender norms with cognitive and academic skills in adolescent girls. Poster presented at: Society for Social Work Research. 2022 January 14-17; Washington, D.C.
de Saxe Zerden, L., Lombardi, B. M., Richman, E. L., & Forte, A. B. . Addressing Burnout among the Frontline Healthcare Workforce during COVID-19: A Scoping Review & Expert Interviews. Oral paper presented at: Society for Social Work Research. 2022 January 14-17; Washington, D.C.
Masa, R., Forte, A.B., & Villodas, M. Direct and indirect effects of underweight, self-efficacy, and gender norms with cognitive and academic skills in adolescent girls. Paper presented at the 22nd Biennial Conference of the International Consortium for Social Development (virtual), 2021, July 13–16.
Masa R., Shangani, S., *Baca-Atlas, S., Forte, A.B., & Operario, D. Exchanging sex for food: Exploring factors affecting young transgender adults' involvement in sexual exploitation due to food insecurity. Poster presented at the 2021 National LGBTQ Health Conference (virtual), May 20–21, 2021 .
Courses
|
SOWO 510
Foundations for Evidence-Based Practice and Program Evaluation
|
Spring 2023
|
|
SOWO 712
Foundations for Evidence-Based Practice and Program Evaluation
|
Summer 2022
|
