Rodney A. Ellis is currently Associate Professor and Acting Associate Dean at the College of Social Work, The University of Tennessee (Nashville campus). Dr. Ellis obtained his Ph.D. in Social Welfare from Florida International University in 1997. He has taught both foundation and concentration macro classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He also has extensive practical experience in the macro arena, having served in a number of professional and volunteer capacities. Professionally, he has served as the director of an intervention program for troubled juveniles as the Director of Child Welfare for District X of the Florida Department of Children and Families, and as the Assistant Director of the School of Social Work at Florida International University. As a volunteer, he has been involved in the development and reform of human services policy in the States of Florida and Tennessee. He was a regional delegate for the Florida Children's Campaign, vice president of the Broward Children's Consortium, and was an advocate before the Broward County Commission on multiple human service issues. In Tennessee he has served as a member of the statewide board for the Tennessee Conference on Social Welfare and as the Chair of the board for Mediation Services of Putnam County. He has also provided technical support and expertise on Juvenile Justice issues to the state Commission on Juvenile Justice reform and is an active member of the Tennessee Conference on Social Welfare (TCSW) and is currently a consultant for the United States Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Dr. Ellis' published works include: 16 articles for professional journals (either published or in press), three published books in addition to this one.