Jayme Walters

Dr. Jayme Walters is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at Utah State University (USU) and serves as Executive Director of the Transforming Communities Institute (TCI). She holds a PhD from the University of Tennessee, an MSW with a Nonprofit Development certificate from the University of Georgia, and a BSW from Southern Illinois University. Her work focuses on community well-being, rural social challenges, and nonprofit management. She founded the USU Community-Engaged Scholar Network and the open-access journal Transforming Communities, which bridges academic research and community practice.

Dr. Walters has mentored dozens of students in community-engaged research and serves on USU’s Institutional Review Board. She is President of the Board for the William A. Burnard Warming Center in Logan. Her research addresses homelessness, domestic violence, and access to justice, with emphasis on evidence-based solutions for rural communities. Recent awards include the 2025 Giraffe Award for Innovation and Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year.

Her career combines academic research with over a decade of nonprofit experience in program development, fundraising, and grant writing. Growing up in rural poverty fueled her commitment to economic and social justice. Current projects include analyzing board-executive dynamics in nonprofits and exploring social worker burnout prevention strategies.