A.J. Alejano-Steele

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A.J. Alejano-Steele

Professor of Health Professions

Health Professions

Biography

Dr. Annjanette R. Alejano-Steele is a Full Professor in the Department of Health Professions. at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Between 1996 and 2016, Dr. Alejano-Steele has held tenure in the Departments of Gender Studies and Psychology.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Michigan State University and NIH-supported postdoctoral work in psychology and medicine from the University of California, San Francisco. Her health psychology expertise has focused on local and global multicultural issues, including reproductive health access for low-income populations, and comprehensive health services for victims of human trafficking.

Separate from MSU Denver, she is also the co-founder and Research Director at the Denver-based Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking.

Research Interests

    Dr. Alejano-Steele's research interests have spanned the areas of health psychology, social justice education, and interpersonal violence.

    Her health psychology expertise has focused upon health access for underserved populations, and comprehensive community response to human trafficking. She has taught about human trafficking since 2000 and researched and trained on the subject since 2005. Since 2005, she has served on five national and federal task forces focusing on trauma and human trafficking, and has trained, presented and published widely. She recently a book on global women’s health and currently serves as an advisor for a global human trafficking research project based in London.

    Her community engagement work has been acknowledged nationally by Campus Compact, as one of the 2018 Ehlich Scholar Finalists. She has served on the steering committee of the victim services-focused Colorado Network to End Human Trafficking, and has served many state and federal taskforces on trauma and human trafficking, among them, the Colorado Regional Community Policing Institute, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the American Psychological Association.

    With Dr. Alejano-Steele’s various roles in the anti-trafficking movement and academe, she blended together academics with on-the-ground field experience, having offered a multidisciplinary undergraduate human trafficking course since 2007. Most importantly, she created and coordinated the Human Trafficking Academic Response Team designed to provide wrap around academic services for 70 survivors of human trafficking in their pursuit of higher education.

Education

Other in Psychology and Medicine

University of California, San Francisco

PhD in Psychology

Michigan State University

BA in Psychology

University of Michigan

Personal Website

https://msudenver.edu/our-past/ourpeople/annjanette-alejano-steele.shtml

Published Works

    George, N., Connot, N., Laser, J., Alejano-Steele, A. (2023). Qualitative Data Collection Post-COVID-19: An Overview of the Conduction of Virtual Focus Groups and Interviews. [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Societal Impacts. Alejano-Steele, A., Finger, A., Napolitano, K. . What do communities need to end human trafficking? Good data. Journal of Human Trafficking. Miller, A., Laser, J., Alejano-Steele, A., Napolitano, K., George, N., Connot, N., Finger, A. (2023). Lessons Learned from the Colorado Project to Comprehensively Combat Human Trafficking. Societies, 131-62. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13030051. Alejano-Steele, A., Hartman, C., Cicenia, D., Estrada, Y., MatuszewiczJournal of Best Practices in Health Professions Diversity, E. (2022). Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP): Coaching Colorado’s Underserved Students Toward Promising Health Careers. Journal of Best Practices in Health Professions Diversity, 15(1), 15–25. . Miller, A., Alejano-Steele, A., FInger, A., Napolitano, K. (2022). The Colorado Project to Comprehensively Combat Human Trafficking: Community-Based Participatory Research in Action. Journal of Human Trafficking, 8(1), 59-81. . Alejano-Steele, A., Finger, A. A. (2021). A.J. and Amanda: Sixteen years of friendship and partnering for anti-trafficking. Voices of Freedom initiative (collaboration between the U.S. Department of State Office on Trafficking in Persons and StoryCorps, https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/aj-and-amanda-founding-a-nonprofit/ Alejano-Steele, A. (2021). Civically engaged and inclusive pedagogy: Facilitating a multidisciplinary course on human trafficking. Special Issue: Anti-trafficking Education. Anti-Trafficking Review, 171-112. https://doi.org/10.14197/atr.201221176. Alejano-Steele, A., Pruitt, M. (2019). Chapter 1: North America. (). ABC-Clio. Matuszewicz, S., Alejano-Steele, A. (2019). Chapter 2: Latin America. (). ABC-Clio. Hutchison, M., Alejano-Steele, A. (2019). Chapter 4: Middle East/ North Africa. (). ABC-Clio. Alejano-Steele, A. (2019). Chapter 7: South/ Southeast Asia. (). ABC-Clio. Alejano-Steele, A. (2019). Women in Society: Women and Health Volume. ABC-Clio Publishers, Alejano-Steele, A., Miller, K. (2019). Chapter 10: Psychological Treatment: Application of Feminist Theory. (). Routledge. Alejano-Steele, A., Finger, A. A., Landerholm, M. (2019). Chapter 14: Service coordination: Building a multi-agency community-based coalition. (). Routledge. Foot, K., Sworn, H., Alejano-Steele, A. (2019). Structures and practices of cross-sector engagement in counter-human trafficking coalitions in the global south. Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Alejano-Steele, R. A., Steele, T. B., Alejano-Steele, C. B., Alejano-Steele, K. O. (2016). Rocky Mountain PBS Feature on Race in Colorado: The Alejano-Steele Family. , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UgQ6qxHD9w Alejano-Steele, R. A. (2014). Reading and discussion guide for Runaway Girl by C. Phelps. Metropolitan State University of Denver, McDaniel, A., Alejano-Steele, R. A., Houck, E. S. (2014). Teaching modules (including videos) for Runaway Girl by C. Phelps.. Metropolitan State University of Denver, Alejano-Steele, R. A., McDaniel, A. (2014). “Lourdes” simulation to support Human Trafficking Blackboard Module. Metropolitan State University of Denver, Alejano-Steele, R. A. . Expert Testimony Report for Colorado Attorney General Case. , Alejano-Steele, R. A., Sidun, M. N., Hume, L. D., Burke, C. M., Contreras, M. P., Finckenauer, O. J., Liss, B. M., Patterson, D. T., Pierce, A. (2014). American Psychological Association Task Force Report on Human Trafficking of Women and Girls.. American Psychological Association, Division 35, www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/03/human-trafficking.aspx Alejano-Steele, R. A., Worthy, C. S., Tull, T., Paul, E., Ruch, K. D., Anderson, M., Schwab, N. (2013). Institutional Processes Designed to Promote Diversity and Equity at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Cuaderno de Investigacion en la Educacion, 28 . Alejano-Steele, R. A., Multiple (16) authors. (2013). Colorado Action Plan. Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking, coloradoproject.combathumantrafficking.org/resultsandfindings/coactionplan Alejano-Steele, R. A. (2013). Complexities of sex trafficking in the form of pimping. (). Georgetown University Press. Alejano-Steele, R. A. (2013). Colorado Project Executive Summary. Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking, http://coloradoproject.combathumantrafficking.org/resultsandfindings/execsummary Alejano-Steele, R. A., Multiple (16) authors. (2013). Colorado Project National Survey Report. Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking, coloradoproject.combathumantrafficking.org/resultsandfindings/nationalreport Alejano-Steele, R. A., multiple (16) authors. (2013). Colorado Project Statewide Data Report. Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking, coloradoproject.combathumantrafficking.org/resultsandfindings/statereport Alejano-Steele, R. A. (2012). Trauma-Informed Care Training Curriculum for Medical Professionals. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Alejano-Steele, R. A., Li, L. (2012). Trafficking in Women . Rosllyn Muraskin (Ed.), Women and Justice: It's a Crime, 5th edition, Pearson Prentice Hall , http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/product/Women-and-Justice-Its-a-Crime/9780135120897.page Alejano-Steele, R. A., Morris, M., Dahl, B., Breslin, L., Berger, K., Finger, A. (2012). Prostitution-related arrests in the City and County of Denver: Who Pays? . Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking, www.combathumantrafficking.org/whopays Alejano-Steele, R. A., Hamington, F. M., MacDonald, E. L., Potter, D. M., Schafer, T. S., Sgoutas, A. A., Tull, T. (2011). From Difficult Dialogues to Critical Conversations: Intersectionality in our Teaching and Professional Lives . New Directions for Teaching and Learning, (125), 91-100. .