Paul W. Speer

Professor, Department of Human and Organizational Development

Research:  Paul Speer's research interests focus on community organizing, social power and community change. He studies the processes and mechanisms of community organizations as these groups work to alter social conditions in their communities. Additionally, he is interested in linking these organizational processes to their associated impacts on the broader community as well as the impacts on individual participants.

Teaching:  Paul teaches Community Development Theory, a course examining various theories that address the development of urban areas in the postwar era. The course examines the intersection of economics, politics, demographics, technology and other forces shaping the urban form and the quality of interactions in these spaces. He also teaches community organizing, a course exploring expressions of agency by local actors on more macro-level processes, and the tools and methods for developing power to enhance agentic actions. He’s also recently taught Action Research, Research Experience, and HOD Honors. 

Service:  He is serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Urban Affairs and the American Journal of Community Psychology.

Community Engagement:  He is currently involved in several community-based studies that draw on action research and participatory engagement with residents. He is working with an NIJ-funded study of youth safety and wellbeing and a CDC-funded study of using media to alter community norms to reduce youth violence. He is studying community organizing processes in a statewide effort with PICO California. Paul is also working on a study of community organizing efforts that are working to prevent the opioid crisis in Detroit, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.