Dr. Jill D. Sharkey is a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology. Her research focuses on transforming systems to better serve vulnerable youth through student engagement and school climate, trauma-informed school practices, and justice diversion and wraparound support.
Professor Sharkey’s scholarship centers on creating safe, supportive, and equitable environments for vulnerable youth. Through extensive university-community partnerships, she evaluates programs designed to divert young people from the juvenile justice system and protect them from exploitation, including online predators and child sex trafficking. Her work helps schools implement trauma-informed practices that support both educators and students, reducing school discipline disparities and strengthening school connectedness. By translating her research into public advocacy and policy, she seeks to reform institutional systems so that every child has access to the resources and support they need to thrive.
Professor Sharkey earned her Ph.D. in Education in 2003 from UC Santa Barbara, following a B.A. from Pomona College in 1996. She is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. A graduate of the UC-Coro Systemwide Leadership Collaborative and the 2025 UCSB Public Voices Fellowship, her recent honors include the Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award from the UCSB Academic Senate in 2022 and the Community Collaboration Award from Channel Islands YMCA Youth and Family Services Division in 2021. She is an elected member of the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, a Strategy Team member of the South Coast Youth Safety Partnership, and a member of the SB County Human Trafficking Task Force.