GASP Spotlight: Dr. Robin R. Stepps – A Life of Leadership, Service, and Impact
It’s been more than 20 years since Dr. Robin R. Stepps earned her Master of Science in Addiction Studies from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Looking back, she credits that degree as a pivotal turning point, one that equipped her to serve in roles as diverse as correctional chaplain, educator, pastor, and national advocate.
Her time at the Graduate Addiction Studies Program (GASP) gave her the knowledge and confidence to pair compassion with evidence-based practice. That preparation positioned her to minister on the front lines as only the second woman to serve as a full-time licensed Correctional Chaplain for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, working in death row, isolation, and maximum-security units.
Beyond corrections, Dr. Stepps broke barriers as the first African American female elected to pastor an established Missionary Baptist congregation in Arkansas. She has represented Arkansas in Washington, D.C., speaking before members of Congress and the Senate about the importance of drug prevention, and today she continues her service as Dean of Students at Watson Chapel School District and as pastor of Main Street North Ministries in England, Arkansas.
Her journey shows how a strong academic foundation can multiply into decades of leadership, service, and impact.
“I wanted to understand the causes of addiction and be part of the solution,” she explains.