Jasmine Engleton (she/her) is a scholar dedicated to promoting healing and justice for survivors of sexual violence. As a doctoral candidate pursuing a PhD in Ecological-Community Psychology, Jasmine is committed to using applied research to contribute to a safer and more equitable world.
Jasmine’s passion for supporting survivors of gender-based violence began during her undergraduate years at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). During her time at UMBC, she worked on an abuser intervention study, helping survivors create safety plans and connect with support services. This experience inspired her to work in the field with Dr. Nkiru Nnwulezi, a leading gender-based violence scholar and MSU alum, to better understand the needs of survivors.
Jasmine’s undergraduate research experience sparked her love for applied research, leading her to pursue a PhD at MSU. Over the past few years, she has been involved in research studies with several RCGV members, including Dr. Cris Sullivan and Dr. Rebecca Campbell. Her contributions to these projects have resulted in multiple professional presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals, such as the Journal of Interpersonal Violence and Journal of Community Psychology.
But it was Jasmine’s involvement in Dr. Campbell’s project evaluating a victim notification protocol for survivors with previously untested sexual assault kits that truly set her on her path. Since she first joined Dr. Campbell’s team as a second year student, Jasmine has been involved in all aspects of the research – from design to data collection, analysis, and dissemination. This invaluable research experience inspired her to focus her dissertation study on exploring the healing trajectories of Black female sexual assault survivors with previously untested rape kits.
Jasmine’s decision to focus on healing is deeply personal. She believes it is crucial to better understand Black women’s unique healing experiences, particularly if they go beyond engaging with the criminal legal system. As she explored participants’ healing trajectories, she was also confronted with what healing and wellbeing meant for herself. Jasmine is now grounded on the core belief that healing is not just an individual journey, but a collective process that requires slowing down, processing, reflecting, and resting.
Jasmine’s commitment to promoting healing and wellbeing for survivors of sexual violence goes beyond her dissertation research. Aligned with her commitment to education that reaches a wide audience, Jasmine developed a course entitled “Sexual Violence in the Lives of Black Women and Girls”. But she did not stop there. Clearly recognizing the importance of making this critical information to a wide audience, she is currently formatting the insights from this course into a podcast series that introduces listeners to Black feminist scholars and community leaders, while connecting her audience to relevant research and information.
Through her scholarship, Jasmine hopes to support those dedicated to helping Black women heal from sexual violence. Her unwavering passion for promoting healing, justice, and wellbeing for survivors is evident in all aspects of her work. Her personal and professional pursuits are a testament to the transformative power of research, and a reminder that healing is not just an individual process, but a collective one as well. Jasmine is set to defend her dissertation in Fall 2023, and we cannot wait to see the impact she will make in the world of research and beyond.
