Chapin Hall

Dr. Oyesola Oluwafunmilayo (Funmi) Ayeni is a Research Fellow at Chapin Hall, where she leads community-engaged, equity-focused research to address complex social challenges affecting the health, safety, and well-being of children, youth, families, and communities. Ayeni brings extensive expertise in designing and implementing trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and participatory research and evaluation projects across sectors, including child welfare, sexual and reproductive health, violence prevention and response, youth homelessness, and access to safety and justice. Her work is deeply grounded in understanding and amplifying community experiences, with particular attention to how systems and structures shape access to care, services, and opportunities for well-being. She uses qualitative and mixed methods to generate meaningful, actionable insights and is committed to translating research into accessible findings that inform programs, policy, and practice.

Prior to joining Chapin Hall in 2025, Ayeni served as the Director of Research and Evaluation at the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV). In that role, she managed NRCDV’s research portfolio and collaborated with public agencies, community-based organizations, philanthropic partners, and multi-sector coalitions to develop, implement, and evaluate community-based interventions that meet the diverse needs of survivors and their families.

Ayeni holds a PhD and MA in Ecological-Community Psychology from Michigan State University and a BA in Psychology from Morgan State University.