William (Bill) Evans, Ph.D.
State Specialist for Youth Development
Contact information: (775) 784-7013
Sarah Fleischmann Building: 210
evans@unr.nevada.edu
Areas of Specialization
Youth development
Research Interests
Adolescent risk, resiliency, and developmental issues
Youth violence and suicide
School-based family counseling Program evaluation
Recent Publications
Marsh, S. & Evans, W.P. (2007). Predictors of staff responses to problematic youth behavior in detention and correctional settings. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 44(1).
Marsh, S., Clinkenbeard, S., Thomas, R.M., & Evans, W.P., (2007). Risk and protective factors predictive of sense of coherence during adolescence. Journal of Health Psychology, 12(2).
Christiansen, E., & Evans, W.P. (2005). Adolescent victimization: Testing models of resiliency by gender. Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(3), 298-316.
Evans, W.P., Owens, P., & Marsh, S. (2005). Locus of control, environmental factors, and adolescent suicide risk. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 22(3), 1-17.
Brown, R., Killian, E. & Evans, W.P.. (2005). Problem gambling patterns in a sample of Las Vegas area detained youth. The Journal of Gambling Issues, 13(March).
Brown, R. & Evans, W.P. (2004). A collaborative community change model: Understanding and evaluating university extension professional’s role in community change. Journal of Extension, 42(2).
Classes Taught
As the Youth Development State Specialist for Nevada Cooperative Extension, I routinely assess the educational needs of the state using quantitative and qualitative methods and provide leadership in the development, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs that address critical youth needs. In this role, I have provided leadership or was an active team member for numerous community needs assessment and asset mapping projects statewide. I also have been involved throughout the state in the development of a number of education programs focused on youth and their families that have emphasized the enhancement of life skills for youth, the prevention of youth violence and suicide, and the reduction of risky behaviors and delinquency. In addition, I devote a large percentage of my professional time to the evaluation of community-based programs and have been the lead evaluator on numerous regional and statewide projects. I currently am the editor and facilitator of two federally funded projects to develop evaluation instruments and resources for youth related prevention programs. I also occasionally teach for the Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Doctoral program, where I am a core faculty member.
Background Information
1990 Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
1984 M.A., Clinical/Community Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hill
1978 B.A., Cartography/Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara
Current Projects
The majority of my Extension teaching has focused on youth development and youth at-risk issues and consists of leadership of youth development activities at the state level, including consultation on the identification of needs and issues (needs assessments), the development of research-guided curricula and resource materials, grant writing, and staff supervision (program development), and program evaluation. I have provided leadership to numerous statewide community assessment projects in Nevada, developed national award winning juvenile justice programs (e.g. MAGIC), and have significantly contributed to several national Extension efforts, including my current appointment as CYFERnet Teen editor.
Other Relevant Information
I enjoy hiking, travel, and collecting and listening to jazz and other forms of modern music. I also am a licensed psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT).