Alexandra Hood

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Alexandra Hood

Affiliate Faculty

Social Work

Bio

Dr. Alexandra N. Hood received her Ph.D. from the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston. She also holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Metropolitan State University of Denver and two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). She identifies as a mixed-race (Black and white) scholar-activist whose work bridges research, practice, and community engagement.
As a primarily online instructor, Dr. Hood emphasizes flexibility and accessibility, recognizing the varied needs and learning styles of her students. She values the diverse life experiences and backgrounds that students bring into the classroom and actively works to create a sense of belonging. She is particularly passionate about mentoring BIPOC and first-generation students, acknowledging the unique barriers they face and supporting them in building justice-centered, community-informed careers.
Currently, Dr. Hood is a full-time Lecturer who teaches at both the graduate levels. She has taught Foundations of Justice and Developing Capstone in the MSW program, as well as Sociology of Family at the undergraduate level at UCCS.

Degree

PhD in Social Work

University of Houston

MSW in Social Work

Metropolitan State University of Denver

BA in Psychology/Criminal Justice Dual Degree

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Published Works

  • Boyce, E., Hood, N. A. . Course Development & Corresponding OER Textbook for Advanced Ethical Decision Making. Press Books,
  • Hood, N. A., Boyce, E. . Course Development & Corresponding OER Textbook for Exploring Foundations of Justice. Press Books,
  • Walton, L. Q., Allen, C. P., Hood, N. A. . Applying the Radical Healing Framework with Middle-Class Black Women Navigating Dual Pandemics. Social Sciences.
  • Walton, L. Q., Hood, N. A. . Burdens and Benefits of Being Black, Woman, and Middle-Class. .
  • Hood, N. A., Boyce, E., Vervalin, H. . Labelling Theory and Multi-Systemic Involvement. (). .
  • Taylor, A., Hood, N. A. (2026). Relational and Structural Trauma among Black Female Youth: Poly-Victimization and Relational Wounds . [Manuscript in preparation]. Children and Youth Services Review.
  • Hood, N. A., King, J. A. (2026). Reimagining Identity Development for Black Girls through the Lens of Black Girlhood: Adultification, Benevolent Childhood Experiences, and Multisystem Involvement. [Manuscript in preparation]. Developmental Psychology , (Special Issue: Reimagining Developmental Science Through the Lens of Black Girlhood). .
  • Boyce, E., Hood, N. A., Walton, L. Q., Bagneris, J., Brandon, J. B., Ortega, D., Hanna, M., Little, K. (2026). Concrete Pavements to Rooted Futures: Cross-Racial Mentoring through Regenerative Relational Praxis. [Manuscript in preparation]. Social Sciences, (Special Issue: Reimagining Higher Education Through Design Justice and Inclusive Practices). .
  • Portillos, L. E., Peguero, A., Hood, N. A., Gonzalez, J., Immekus, C. J. . We’re kids, but to them we’re all criminals:’ Exploring Hostile Policing and Police Violence in the Barrio. Atzlan.
  • Combs, T., Matsumoto, R., Hood, N. A., Ballard, E., Ralston, A. P., Flynn, H., Naar, S., Luke, D., Pettus, C. . Modeling Structural Racism and Mistrust In Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Insights from Systems Approaches for a Southern US Healthcare Network. . .
  • Walton, L. Q., Kennedy, P., Hood, N. A. . “Who Else Would it Be?”: A constructivist grounded theory study examining COVID-19, entrenched racial trauma, and mental health among middle-class Black women. [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Psychology of Women Quarterly.
  • Aquino-Adriatico, G., Li, Z., Tahija, N., Hood, N. A., Walton, L. Q. (2025). “Nobody is Taking Care of Us”: Experiences of Middle Class Black Mothers During COVID-19 and Heightened Racial Tensions in the United States. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1086/735176.
  • McKenna, C. N., Hood, N. A., Jenkins, N. L., Kiki, E., Rock, J., Duron, J. . Healing Pathways: Restorative Justice and Transformative Lenses for Centering Youth with Crossover and System Involvement. (). Springer.
  • Pettus, C., Hood, N. A., Pooler-Burgess, M., Sanders, T., Naar, S. . Transformative Health Justice Framework for conducting translational antiracism research . [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Health Equity/Mary Ann Liebert, Inc..
  • Boyce, E., Hood, N. A., Walton, Q. . Navigating Institutional Barriers: IRB Gatekeeping and the Disruption of Scholar-Activist Research. Society for Social Work Research,
  • Walton, L. Q., Coats, V. J., Jeffers, S. K., Blaket, M. J., Hood, N. A., Washington, T. (2023). Mind, body, and spirit: A qualitative exploration of wellness among middle-class Black women. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2023.2278288.
  • Hood, N. A. (2023). Dual Status and Adultification: Black Girls’ Lives in Context. Journal of Family Strengths, 23(1/Special Issue: Mental Health and the Intersectionality of Race and Gender of Crossover Youth). https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/jfs/vol23/iss1/3?utm_source=digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu%2Fjfs%2Fvol23%2Fiss1%2F3&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages.
  • Hood, N. A. (2021). Compassion: The root of social justice. SocialWorker.com, https://www.socialworker.com/extras/social-work-month-project-2021/compassion-root-social-justice

Research Interests

Dr. Hood's research focuses on adultification, identity development, and the lived experiences of youth impacted by multiple systems, including the juvenile legal system, child welfare, and behavioral health. She has experience leading and supporting research-practice partnerships and has worked alongside legal system stakeholders and community-based organizations to foster equity and inform systems change. Most recently, Dr. Hood has worked as an Independent Research Consultant conducting program evaluations, supporting qualitative research, research-practice partnerships, and evaluation efforts to advance translational and implementation research.
Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to racial and gender equity, with particular attention to the experiences of Black and mixed-race girls and other historically marginalized groups. Dr. Hood began my career supporting research and evaluation projects focused on youth violence, racial trauma, behavioral health, and systems transformation. Critical frameworks, including Black Feminist Thought, Black Girlhood Studies, Intersectionality, and Critical Race Feminism, guide her research. As a first-generation, mixed-race scholar, she is driven by both personal and professional commitments to dismantling systemic racial injustices and promoting social equity through research and education.

Teaching Interests

Dr. Hood's teaching philosophy centers on fostering inclusive, transformative learning environments that prioritize students' diverse needs and perspectives. She believes education holds the power not only to enrich individual lives but also to challenge and redefine societal norms. Grounded in Critical Race Feminism (CRF), her pedagogy highlights the intersections of race, gender, and systems of oppression while centering equity and social justice. She strives to cultivate spaces where diverse student voices are heard, valued, and empowered.

Office Hours

Mondays 10AM-12PM MST