Charles Izzo

Research Associate

Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research

Office

1st Fl.,Beebe Hall

Phone

607-255-9775

Fax

607-255-8562

cvi2@cornell.edu

Biography

Charles Izzo is a Senior Research Associate at the BCTR and a member of the research team on the Residential Child Care Project. His background is in Clinical and Community Psychology with a specialty in the design and evaluation of community-based services for children and families. His work has focused on applying social science research methods to measure and improve the quality of youth care services and on translating social and neuroscience research to better inform program design. Currently, he examines the factors that enhance the developmental and therapeutic value of interactions between care providers and young people. He has conducted large-scale evaluations of the CARE program model, studies on youth's care experiences while living in group homes, and is now co-developing and evaluating an NIH Funded staff-development workshop for care providers. His articles appear in journals such as Prevention Science, Children and Family Services Review, The American Journal of Community Psychology, and the Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community.

Research activities

My research aims to advance scientific knowledge about the multi-level processes by which programmatic interventions influence human functioning and health. I am most interested in (1) studying the factors that influence the quality of interactions between those in the helping professions (home visiting nurses, residential care workers) and the clients they serve, and (2) translating that knowledge in a way that practitioners and administrators can apply in their daily professional practices.

Finally, my work involves trying to apply rigorous scientific methods to examine complex phenomena in "messy" community settings.

Specific Initiatives:
I currently lead the research component of a project that studies the pathways through which an intervention influences relational processes among youth and adults in residential child care facilities. The study also examines program impacts on youth, well-being, staff attitudes, and organizational functioning. Status: We are writing research reports from a completed quasi-experimental study, and are beginning a second multi-site study across New York State.

Teaching and advising statement

Selected publications

Izzo, C.V., Aumand, B.N., Cash, B.M., McCabe, L.A., & Holden, M.J.

(2014). Exploration of the Youth-Adult Relationship in Residential

Care: Small Glimpses from a Large Sample of Youth.

International Journal of Child and Family Welfare. 15,10-23.

Izzo, C.V., Smith, E.G., Biemer, P., & Christ, S.L. (2009). Latent classification of physical abuse as a predictor of adolescent functioning. In M.B. Webb & K. Dowd (Eds.), Child Welfare and Child Well-being. Oxford University Press.

Professional activities

Public engagement activities

I develop measurement instruments designed to have utility for program analysis and planning, as well as for research. I collaborate with community organizations to devevelop assessment protocols that fit their organizational and programmatic needs.

I am currently planning projects with 4-H educators to enhance their organizations' CQI activities.

Administrative positions

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