Eleanor Pepi Downey, Professor of Social Work at Lewis-Clark State College holds an undergraduate degree in Bible and Religion from Queens University of Charlotte, a Masters in Social Work from Rutgers University, and a PhD in Social Work from the University of Denver. In addition to her teaching at LCSC, she has held faculty positions at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, Boise State University, and Colorado State University. At Colorado State University she was Director of the Center for Learning and Outreach Education. Prior to entering the academic world, she engaged in the practice of social work for over 20 years in a variety of mental health settings and as a researcher. Eleanor was employed by the University of Colorado Institute for Behavioral Genetics and later as the Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Research on Social Problems in Boulder, Colorado. Working with Dr. Phyllis Katz, she directed a longitudinal research study on the acquisition of race and gender concepts and attitudes in the young child. Her dissertation focused on changes in individuals who participated in the longitudinal research: Speaking the Unspoken: The Unintended Consequences of Research Participation on Racial Attitudes. Eleanor's subsequent research and publications focus primarily on social work education.
An active member of the Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, she served on the national Board of Directors and, in March 2013, delivered the Ron Frederico Memorial Lecture at the annual meeting titled Social Justice in the Classroom: Never Forget Our Students are Watching. Eleanor has been an active Girl Scout volunteer as a leader, member, and Vice President of the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts Mile Hi Council (Denver, CO), and a National Operations Volunteer for Girl Scouts USA. She has served on Idaho Region II Mental Health Advisory Board and is currently a member of the Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners. Eleanor and her partner Jim have three daughters Elizabeth, Lindsey, and Meredith and four grandchildren Brendan, Sara, Camden, and Jillian.
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