Astraea Ausberger

Astraea Augsberger has dedicated her career to promoting the rights of children, youth, and families to have a voice in organizational and institutional practices, programs, and policies that directly or indirectly impact their lives. Her research program, supported by federal, state, and foundation grants, examines multi-level factors that facilitate a person’s ability to participate in decision making within multiple institutions including child welfare, municipal government, education, and health care. Augsberger’s research has been shaped by more than fifteen years of clinical social work practice with children and families involved in multiple systems.

Augsberger is the Director of Community Engagement for the Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute. She leads the Institute’s efforts to build institutional structures that center community priorities in the research process, develop new and sustain existing community-academic partnerships, and advance health equity through the widespread dissemination of best practices for community engaged work.

Augsberger’s research has been published in scholarly journals including Health Affairs, Children and Youth Services Review, American Journal of Community Psychology, and Journal of Adolescent Research. Augsberger has served as an expert advisor on youth engagement strategies and best practices to multiple federal, state, and local advisory boards, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Youth MOVE National, and the Boston Mayor’s Office.