Jennifer Dollar is a dedicated college professor at Columbia College, where she co-leads the M.Ed. in Trauma-Informed Education program and teaches social work. With a profound passion for equipping educators and professionals with trauma-informed approaches, Jennifer emphasizes the importance of our own self-awareness and community impact. Her graduate students often express how transformative the TIE program has been, sharing sentiments like, “this degree has changed my life” (personally and professionally).
Jennifer’s commitment to helping others stems from her personal journey of healing from childhood trauma. Over her 16-year tenure as a school social worker, she supported traumatized children and families while empowering educators and professionals with practical, trauma-informed concepts and tools. Her extensive 30-year career in social work includes roles as liaison, supervisor, collaborator, clinical counselor, curriculum developer, published author, and professional development creator/presenter. She has a BA in Psychology from Carson Newman University, Master’s in Social Work from the University of South Carolina, and an LISW-CP. She also serves as a board member for the nonprofit, The Esther Project Shop which seeks to fight human trafficking by empowering Kenyan artisans with sustainable incomes.
Outside of her professional life, Jennifer enjoys spending quality time with her family, friends, and fur babies. She loves traveling and seeking adventure, with hang gliding being one of her most memorable experiences.