Jennifer Pacheco Villalobos, PhD (she/her/ella) is an Assistant Professor at Claremont Graduate University (CGU), where she also directs the Doctorate of Evaluation Practice (D.Eval) professional degree program. With expertise in program evaluation, organizational psychology, and positive organizational interventions, her work focuses on promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), social justice approaches, and leveraging artificial intelligence for social good.
Villalobos earned her PhD and Master’s degrees in Positive Organizational Psychology and Evaluation from CGU, and a Bachelor degrees in Psychology and History from the University of Southern California (USC). She has over 20 years of experience consulting for organizations across multiple sectors, including healthcare, education, non-profit, and corporate industries. Her consulting work emphasizes program improvement, DEI, workplace well-being, and leadership development.
Her research has been published in top-tier journals such as the International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, Journal of Faculty Development, and International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. She is particularly known for her contributions to psychological capital and social justice in evaluation.
Villalobos has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Stauffer Fellow Teaching Assistant of the Year Award and the American Evaluation Association and CGU professional development awards, and CGU’s 2024 Commencement Student Speaker. Her dynamic and interdisciplinary approach continues to shape the fields of evaluation and organizational psychology through her innovative teaching, research, and practice.
Born and raised in Southern California, Villalobos has a deep commitment to fostering equitable and positive change at individual, team, organization, and community levels. She actively collaborates with local, national, and international organizations to drive meaningful impact through her work.
Donaldson, SI; Villalobos, J; Cho, M (2024) Following the Science of Effective Prejudice Reduction: Program Evaluators. Evaluation and Program Planning. (in press)
Villalobos, J; Cabrera V; Donaldson, SI (2024). Intergroup Peace and Character Strengths. In R. Niemiec. Character Strengths and Peace Psychology. Springer (in press)
Donaldson SI; Villalobos, J (2024). Positive Mindsets: PsyCap’s roles in PERMA+4 and positive organizational psychology, behavior, and scholarship 2.0. Organizational Dynamics (in press)
Villalobos J, Grandjean Targos (2024) Against What? Facilitating Data Interpretation through Open Data: Practical Implications, Barriers, and Ethical Considerations. New Directions for Evaluation. (in press)
Villalobos J, Cabrera, V. (2024) A Constructive Critique: Advancing Positive Psychology with Equity and Justice. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology (in press)
Villalobos, J., Bledsoe, K. L., & Donaldson, S. I. (2023). Integrating theory and research on structural racism and social justice into evaluator preparation. New Directions for Evaluation, 2023(177), 49-55.
Villalobos, J., & Jessup, L. (2021). Adapting to Distance Learning During COVID-19 Using a Transparent Assignment and Course Design. The Journal of Faculty Development, 35(2), 72-77.
Villalobos, J., Chan, L. B., Chen, C., & Donaldson, S. I. (2020). Exploring adaptability and proactivity across cultural contexts. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 20(3), 345-360.)
Donaldson, S. I., Chan, L. B., Villalobos, J., & Chen, C. L. (2020). The generalizability of HERO across 15 nations: Positive psychological capital (PsyCap) beyond the US and other WEIRD countries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24), 9432.
Evaluation Procedures
Evaluation for Social Good in a Digital Age