Marsha Zibalese-Crawford

Marsha Zibalese-Crawford, PhD, is Professor Emerita in the College of Public Health, School of Social Work at Temple University, and currently serves as a Lecturer in the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Science in Social Policy program. Over her career at Temple, she held the position of Chair and Associate Dean of the School of Social Work. Dr. Zibalese-Crawford held a dual appointment in Geography and Urban Studies, where she advanced a body of cross-disciplinary work linking social systems, organizational change, and community health.
Her scholarship is rooted in community-based participatory research (CBPR), and extends beyond traditional frameworks by integrating change theory, organizational analysis, and impact evaluation. This approach allows her to measure outcomes, understand how organizations operate within broader systems and focus on the transformative power of sustainable partnerships. In Philadelphia, she played a central role in creating the city’s Report Card on the Well-being of Children and Youth, a multi-year effort that shaped policy and investment for vulnerable populations. Nationally, she served as co-principal investigator for the NIH JJ Trials study, advancing evidence-based strategies for substance use prevention and treatment in juvenile justice systems, and she has led evaluations addressing behavioral health, violence prevention, and health disparities.
Dr. Zibalese-Crawford’s influence extends globally. She partnered with the U.S. Embassy in Israel to strengthen the capacity of NGOs in the region and West Bank. She worked collaboratively with feminist Bedouin organization to implement a participatory research study that has amplified Bedouin women voices. This innovative work framed community development as both a pathway to equity and a tool of international diplomacy, advancing the U.S.–Israel relationship through civil society engagement.
Her contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including Temple University’s Outstanding Faculty Service Award and the North Broad Press Book Award. Through her teaching, mentorship, and cross-institutional collaborations, Dr. Zibalese-Crawford continues to shape the next generation of leaders in social work and public health, exemplifying how community engagement, systems thinking, and organizational change can converge to advance equity and resilience locally and globally.