Beth S. Catlett, Ph.D. received her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, and her doctorate in Family Relations and Human Development from the Ohio State University. Beth is an Associate Professor in the department of Women's and Gender Studies and the co-founder and Director of the Beck Research Initiative for Women, Gender, and Community (BRI). This Initiative specializes in community-based research and programs involving gendered violence and social movements designed to create community change. Her areas of scholarly interest include youth leadership and activism, community-based participatory action research, violence in intimate relationships, the development of critical consciousness among college students, and the uses of contemplative practices to inspire social justice.  

Beth's work has generated numerous publications in scholarly journals, including Violence Against Women, Men and Masculinities, Violence and Victims, Family Relations, American Journal of Community Psychology, and Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. She also has contributed chapters to several books, and in collaboration with DePaul Professor and English Department Chair, Michele Morano, she co-edited Write Your Heart Out: Chicagoland Teens on Relationships: An Interactive Anthology.​