Faculty Profile
Debra Berke
Director, Psychology/Organizational Dynamics Programs
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
(302) 356-6760
Professor
Ph.D., University of Delaware
M.S., University of Nebraska-Lincoln
B.A., University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Biography
Debra L. Berke, PhD, CFLE, is a graduate of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the University of Delaware. She currently serves as Director of Psychology Programs and Director of the Center for Prevention Science at Wilmington University, where she regularly teaches the prevention science doctoral dissertation course series and serves on doctoral dissertation committees. Prior to joining Wilmington University in 2009, Dr. Berke taught family studies and women’s studies at Messiah College for 15 years and directed the Gender Studies Project.
Dr. Berke’s research interests include work and family, family policy, and wellness during life and educational transitions. She regularly presents at professional conferences, including the National Council on Family Relations and the Family Science Association, and has authored peer-reviewed articles and book chapters published in outlets such as Family Science Review, Journal of Family Issues, and the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. She also serves as a regular manuscript reviewer for multiple professional journals.
In addition to her academic work, Dr. Berke has served as a consultant for the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the State of Delaware. She has led extensive training in trauma-informed approaches for organizations including Jobs for Delaware Graduates, Ministry of Caring, Beebe Healthcare, and Summer Collab, and has overseen university-wide initiatives to educate Wilmington University faculty and staff in trauma-informed practice. She was the first Vice President of the Board of Directors for Trauma Matters Delaware, a grassroots nonprofit initiative, and is an inaugural recipient of the Delaware First Lady’s Compassionate Champion Award. Dr. Berke currently serves as President of the National Council on Family Relations Board of Directors and previously served as President of the Family Science Association. She is a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE).