Alan Ellis

Alan Ellis is the Interim Head of the School of Social Work at North Carolina State University (NC State), where he also serves as a full-time faculty member in the Department of Social Work. He joined NC State in 2014 after 17 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, including 11 years as a research associate at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. Ellis holds a Ph.D. in Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill (2012), an MSW from the same institution (1996), and a B.A. in Computer Science and Spanish from Dartmouth College (1990).

His research focuses on mental health services, child well-being, and improving research methods such as comparative effectiveness and stakeholder engagement. Notable projects include a systematic review of psychotropic medication use in children and an analysis of psychiatric bed distribution in North Carolina. He teaches courses on social justice and program evaluation.

Ellis has secured grants for projects like Propensity Scores and Preventative Drug Use in the Elderly and Improving Methods to Capture Stakeholder Views on Future Research Needs. He maintains active collaborations with the VA Medical Center and other institutions. His work emphasizes social justice, reflected in resources and courses addressing systemic issues like racism, classism, and adultism. Despite no explicit awards listed, his contributions to mental health policy and education are highlighted through his research and teaching roles.

Ellis advises students in the MSW program and oversees initiatives at the School of Social Work. His lab focuses on critical topics like psychiatric resource allocation and disparities in healthcare access. Future work includes expanding research on child mental health and refining methodological approaches in health services research.