Robin LaBarbera

Robin LaBarbera, Ph.D., DSW, is faculty emerita in the School of Education at Biola University and president of LaBarbera Research & Evaluation. An interdisciplinary researcher and program evaluator, she partners with nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and faith-based ministries to measure outcomes, improve programs and document meaningful change in the lives of the people they serve.

For more than three decades, Dr. LaBarbera’s work has focused on the intersection of education, community development, behavioral health and criminal justice. Her research has examined correctional education, prisoner reentry, post-incarceration adjustment, community chaplaincy, and initiatives serving neighborhoods experiencing poverty. Using mixed-methods research and program evaluation, she helps organizations move beyond measuring activities to understanding how their work contributes to human flourishing.

LaBarbera is the author of numerous scholarly publications, technical reports and books that translate research into practical insights for practitioners, nonprofit leaders and policymakers. Her recent scholarship includes studies of faith-based correctional education and transformation among incarcerated men, as well as the development of evaluation frameworks that broaden traditional measures of success beyond recidivism to include well-being, purpose, relationships and community engagement.

Before joining Biola’s faculty, LaBarbera served in Christian education and nonprofit leadership, experiences that continue to inform her research and consulting. Although retired from full-time teaching, she remains actively engaged in writing, speaking and conducting evaluations for organizations across the United States. Through her scholarship and consulting, she is committed to producing research that is both academically rigorous and practically useful, equipping organizations to strengthen their impact and foster human flourishing in communities around the world.