Elena Delavega

Elena Delavega, PhD, MSW is Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Memphis, where she teaches and researches poverty and social welfare policy. Dr. Delavega has created a body of work consisting of 24 peer-reviewed publications; over 80 reports, newspaper/magazine articles, book chapters, fact sheets, and translations; and numerous presentations, including international presentations, keynote addresses, and a TEDx Talk. She has produced the Memphis Poverty Factsheet, updated yearly, since 2012. She has also given close to 200 media interviews locally, nationally, and worldwide. Additionally, she serves on the board of JustCity, Inc., the Memphis Coalition for the Homeless, as an advisor for Slingshot Memphis, Inc., she served as Associate Director of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis from 2015 to 2019, and edited Volumes II, III, IV and V of the Hooks Policy Papers. In 2018, she collaborated with the National Civil Rights Museum to produce the report on the state of Black Shelby County, Memphis Poverty Report: Memphis Since MLK, in conjunction with the commemorative activities surrounding the 50 th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. She is dedicated to researching, teaching, and promoting civil rights and social justice.