About Us
The Evelyn Jacobs Ortner Center serves as a vital resource for policy makers, agency directors, line staff, researchers, and educators as they search for ways to reduce domestic violence. The Center focuses on protecting the rights, safety, and well-being of victims of abuse and neglect in all of its many forms. Interdisciplinary collaboration across Penn's campus is a cornerstone of this unique Center.
Please note that the Ortner Center does not provide direct or emergency assistance (e.g., shelter, counseling, legal advice) for victims of violence or their families. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please refer to our Resources page to locate the appropriate agency.
Our work is guided by the pioneering spirit of Evelyn Jacobs Ortner, who established the Center through a gift to the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. Please click on the following links to learn more about her and her years of providing no-cost services to battered women:
Team
Director
Susan B. Sorenson, PhD
Assistant Director
Kristie A. Thomas, MSW
Faculty Affiliates
Kathleen Brown, CRNP, PhD
Peter Cronholm, MD, MSCE
Richard J. Gelles, PhD
Toorjo Ghose, MSW, PhD
Jeane Ann Grisso, MD, M.Sc.
Karin V. Rhodes, MD, MS
Marilyn (Lynn) S. Sommers, PhD, RN, FAAN
Anne M. Teitelman, PhD, CRNP
Research Affiliate
Annet Davis-Vogel, RN, MSW, CCRC
Melissa Dichter, PhD
Christine M. Forke, MSN, RN, CRNP
Student Affiliates
Tiffany Dovydaitis, RN, WHCNP
Michelle Evans-Chase, MA
Janine Everett, MS, RN
Manisha Joshi, MPH